With graduation season starting and summer fast approaching, college will quickly become the new reality for many local high school seniors. And for some students set to receive their diploma from Allan Hancock College, the rigors of a four-year university are just around the corner.
A select group of students has been chosen to not only attend these academic institutions but also compete in their respective schools’ intercollegiate sports teams. The Santa Maria area boasts some premier athletic talent, so it comes as no surprise that a handful of student athletes have committed to play at the Division 1 level just up the highway at Cal Poly.
Marcellus Garrick
Marcellus Garrick wasn’t always a sure bet to find a spot on a Division 1 roster. The South Carolina native had a promising prep career, but because his family was constantly on the move, it proved hard for him to solidify the basketball skills he was capable of. After a freshman season at Hancock that saw him average roughly 8 points and four rebounds per game, it didn’t look all that likely that Garrick would eventually land with the Mustangs.
But Garrick decided to truly dedicate himself to the sport he had taken so seriously since his sophomore year in high school.
“I had a period of deep thinking in that summer in between. I realized that in basketball, nothing is given, nothing is promised,” he said. “Just because coach [Tyson] Aye had moved on so many guys, I shouldn’t have been expecting to get an offer. I started to work my butt off, and I am glad it paid off.”
Garrick, a versatile guard/small forward, came out with something to prove in the 2016-17 season for the Bulldogs. He doubled his scoring output by sporting a team high of 15.9 points per game and was a straight-up assassin in Western State Conference League Play. He shot an astounding 47.5 percent from the 3-point arc and averaged more than 20 points per game in league play this season.
He was also elected to the Western State Conference First Team after the season was said and done.
“Marcellus is a high-energy athlete who can play all perimeter positions and compete offensively and defensively,” said Cal Poly’s head basketball coach, Joe Callero.
Garrick made his decision to accept Cal Poly’s offer after a visit to the school in late April. The incoming junior plans to major in sports management, and received offers from 10 other universities.
He chose Cal Poly because of his fondness for both the Central Coast and the Mustang basketball program.
“His positive attitude and toughness will be a great complement to our team,” Callero said. “We’re fortunate he decided to stay on the central coast to continue his basketball career.”
Garrick had Division 1 offers from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the University of Maine, but he maintains that Cal Poly was really the only school he had his heart set on playing for.
Fenton Will
You can’t make more than 250 tackles in three varsity seasons without receiving some kind of recognition.
After a stellar senior season, St. Joseph High School’s starting linebacker, Fenton Will, saw the accolades keep on coming. Will was named All-Area Defensive Player of the Year by the Lee Central Coast Newspapers and received the same honor from his teammates.
Although the Knights finished at 7-5 in 2016, Fenton and company picked up their play in Los Padres League competition (3-1 in league play). The senior linebacker was especially effective in a midseason matchup with San Luis Obispo High, where he tallied 12 tackles in a game the Knights went on to win 41-0.
Cal Poly’s head football coach Tim Walsh took notice of the linebacker’s ability to intimidate the offense and elected to offer him one of the 18 spots available in the 2017 recruiting class.
Will joins some premier defensive players from all over California who are part of Cal Poly’s incoming recruits.
“There is no question that depth on defense and overall athletic ability were our focus during this recruitment period,” Walsh said.
Fenton was more than pleased to find out he would be playing for a program that offered more than just a good football team.
“It is perfect with high academics and Division 1 football,” Will said.
CJ Cole
CJ Cole sports an equally impressive football résumé, the only difference is the side of the ball he plays on. Starting mostly at the running back position, Cole was placed on the first team of Lee Central Coast Newspapers squad and was also named St. Joseph’s team MVP.
The senior rushed more than 1,000 yards in his last season as a Knight, including monster performances versus San Luis Obispo, Pioneer Valley, and Santa Ynez high schools. In the game against the Panthers of Pioneer Valley, Cole rushed more than 300 yards on only 22 carries and picked up three touchdown scores along the way.
Cole is not the typical running back. He can do more than simply run the ball up the gut. He can catch the ball like a receiver and provide a hard-hitting block if the situation calls for it. All the skills that the graduating running back accumulated in his years as a Knight will be put to the test as he seeks a place on Cal Poly’s stacked roster next season.
“With this group, we will be able to move many of these guys around, whether it be linebacker or in the secondary or somewhere on offense,” coach Walsh said.
Cole was also an accomplished track and field star for St. Joseph early on in his high school career. As a sophomore, Cole won the Pac-8 100-meter title with a scorching time of 11.18, only to come back the next year and take the same title with an even faster time of 11 seconds even. He utilized his size by competing in other events like the decathlon, discus, and shot put. At this year’s Arcadia Invitational, Cole compiled an astounding 5,733 points.
While he won’t be competing for Cal Poly’s track and field team, Cole is more than content to play for a team he grew up idolizing.
“I chose Cal Poly because it’s been my No. 1 the whole time,” he said. “I grew up going to games and have had a lot of family go to Cal Poly. I am excited to play local and continue to live on the Central Coast.”
Sports contributor Keenan Donath can be reached through Managing Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 1-8, 2017.