Latest news with #NewburyPark
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
As Michigan stacks blue-chip QBs, Bryce Underwood isn't a deterrent for Brady Smigiel
The news wasn't quite official, so Joe Smigiel had to be coy. The coach at Newbury Park High in Southern California has one more season with a special quarterback prospect who also happens to be his son, four-star Michigan commit Brady Smigiel. The Smigiels want to squeeze every drop out of Brady's final high school season, both for the team's sake and to prepare Brady for the competition that awaits him at Michigan. Advertisement Brady, who will be a four-star starter at Newbury Park, had a stellar junior season with 3,521 passing yards and 49 touchdowns while leading his team to a 14-1 record. Joe, like any coach, was looking for more. 'We're changing some things up this year, which is going to help him mentally,' Joe said. 'We have a new offensive coordinator coming who's recently been very successful in the college ranks and already is making a huge difference in how he looks at things.' Joe couldn't say it at the time, but a day later, word was out. Cam Rising, the quarterback who led Utah to Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022, was retiring after seven seasons in college football. His next gig: offensive coordinator at Newbury Park, his high school alma mater. Bad Moon Out. — Cameron Rising (@crising7) May 7, 2025 'Cam played at Newbury, so we were always around each other,' said Brady, who was a ball boy during Rising's high school career. 'I'm really excited for him to be coming straight out of college, being able to have him call my offense. I'm just excited to develop.' Brady used a version of the word 'develop' nearly a dozen times when discussing his goals for the upcoming year and his reasons for committing to Michigan. That provides a clue about his mindset and why he saw Michigan as a good fit, even with star freshman Bryce Underwood already staking a claim to the quarterback job. Smigiel is an elite prospect ranked No. 80 in the 247Sports Composite and No. 7 among 2026 quarterbacks. He has a strong and accurate arm, the football IQ of a coach's son and ideal size at 6 feet 5. He's also humble enough to know that success at the college level may not happen right away. His decision was about finding a program where he could develop, not about picking the quickest path to playing time. Advertisement 'I don't know anywhere you're going to go that's a program as good as Michigan, and you're not going to expect them to bring in great players,' Joe said. 'They've got a great '24 in Jadyn Davis. They've got Bryce. The '27 class is starting to heat up. They're going to bring in a good '27. They're going to bring in a good '28, all to take the job of the quarterback spot.' Michigan hasn't been known as a program that signs blue-chip quarterbacks in every cycle the way, say, Ohio State and Alabama do. The Wolverines signed J.J. McCarthy in the Class of 2021, followed by Alex Orji and Jayden Denegal, a pair of three-star prospects, in 2022. The Wolverines whiffed at quarterback in 2023 before landing Davis, a borderline top-100 prospect in the Class of 2024. The shaky quarterback recruiting in the classes after McCarthy explains how Michigan ended up in a bind last season. This time, the Wolverines aren't letting off the throttle after signing Underwood, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2025. Landing Smigiel gives Michigan elite quarterback prospects in three successive classes and could signal a shift in the way Michigan is perceived by quarterback recruits. Part of that shift involves the arrival of offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, who was hired to replace Kirk Campbell in December. Lindsey recruited Smigiel when he was at North Carolina, and although the Tar Heels weren't among his top choices, Smigiel saw Lindsey as a coach he could entrust with his development. 'I truly believe in their staff,' Smigiel said. 'We talked about the development that Michigan brings, and I was really impressed with everything they've done with the quarterbacks. It's all about development. I think they develop more than just football. They develop every single aspect.' Smigiel's commitment to Michigan in April came three months to the day after he decommitted from Florida State, the program he originally picked over Oregon, Washington and Ohio State. When Smigiel committed to the Seminoles last June, Florida State was coming off a 13-1 regular season and looked like a program on the rise. The team he decommitted from was 2-10 and brought in a new offensive coordinator in Gus Malzahn. All Glory to God – Go Blue! #committed @Hayesfawcett3 — Brady Smigiel (@BradySmigiel) April 26, 2025 Lindsey coached under Malzahn at Auburn and UCF, but he also has an Air Raid background and a track record of developing NFL quarterbacks. The Smigiels made enough recruiting trips to know that college football is transactional and no coach can make promises about the future. Still, they felt Lindsey was up front about the plan for Brady and how he'd fit at Michigan. Advertisement 'Not everyone is 6-4, 240, with the highest-rated recruiting (profile) that can step in and have a chance to succeed in the Big Ten,' Joe said. 'I'm not saying that he's not going to come in and compete his ass off, because that's who he is. But if you look at the most successful quarterbacks in the NFL, they're the ones who were in college for a long time. They got developed.' Speaking of quarterbacks who were in college for a long time, Exhibit A is Rising, who started his career at Texas in 2018 and battled a series of injuries, including the hand injury that prompted his medical retirement. Joe saw him as the ideal person to prepare Brady for the life of a college quarterback. Rising attempted six passes in his first three seasons, then went 18-6 as a starter the next two years. If Smigiel has a few seasons to develop before he becomes a starter, he could be all the better for it. That's why the presence of Underwood, Michigan's heir apparent at quarterback, wasn't a deterrent. In Michigan's ideal scenario, Underwood would play well enough to be one of the top prospects in the 2028 NFL Draft, and the next quarterback in line would be prepped and ready. The picture could change in so many ways that it's futile to project that far ahead, but no matter what happens, Brady Smigiel is prepared to trust his development and let the rest fall into place. 'You only get one chance at this,' he said. 'If you do all the right things, you're going to get on the field, no matter who's in front of you.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Prep talk: Lineman Cooper Javorsky of San Juan Hills is soaring as a college prospect
Lineman Cooper Javorsky of San Juan Hills High has grown to 6 feet 4 1/2 and 295 pounds while becoming a college football prospect. (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times) It was two months ago when junior offensive lineman Cooper Javorsky of San Juan Hills picked up his first college scholarship offer. He's up to 15 offers and that might double by this fall as college recruiters recognize how impressive he is as a 17-year-old growing to 6 feet 4 1/2 and 295 pounds. "He's had a tremendous offseason," coach Robert Frith said. Advertisement Getting stronger in the weight room, eating right and continuing to improve his athleticism have created plenty of opportunities for Javorsky, who also is a heavyweight wrestler and competes in the shotput and discus. He's in no hurry to select a college. "I want to meet everyone," he said. His older brother, Jake, was a standout linebacker for San Juan Hills before going to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He'll be advising his "little" brother, but all signs point to Javorsky being this season's lineman to watch. … El Camino Real won the City Section Division I tennis championship on Tuesday. … Advertisement Former Newbury Park and Utah quarterback Cam Rising is the new offensive coordinator at Newbury Park. This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Prep talk: Lineman Cooper Javorsky of San Juan Hills is soaring as a college prospect
It was two months ago when junior offensive lineman Cooper Javorsky of San Juan Hills picked up his first college scholarship offer. He's up to 15 offers and that might double by this fall as college recruiters recognize how impressive he is as a 17-year-old growing to 6 feet 4 1/2 and 295 pounds. 'He's had a tremendous offseason,' coach Robert Frith said. Getting stronger in the weight room, eating right and continuing to improve his athleticism have created plenty of opportunities for Javorsky, who also is a heavyweight wrestler and competes in the shotput and discus. He's in no hurry to select a college. 'I want to meet everyone,' he said. His older brother, Jake, was a standout linebacker for San Juan Hills before going to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He'll be advising his 'little' brother, but all signs point to Javorsky being this season's lineman to watch. … El Camino Real won the City Section Division I tennis championship on Tuesday. … Former Newbury Park and Utah quarterback Cam Rising is the new offensive coordinator at Newbury Park. This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Prep sports roundup: Harvard-Westlake wins 2-1 over Crespi in Mission League showdown
As center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs becomes the talk of major league baseball with his defense, junior center fielder James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake remembers the time when he was a freshman and Crow-Armstrong stopped by to offer some tips. "Looking at him as an alumnus, I learn from him," Tronstein said. Tronstein, a Stanford commit, did his best imitation of Crow-Armstrong with one out in the seventh inning Tuesday, chasing down a deep fly ball hit by Landon Hodge and making the catch crashing into the fence to help the Wolverines defeat Crespi 2-1 and pull into a first-place tie in the Mission League. Advertisement "I was relieved James caught it," said sophomore pitcher Justin Kirchner (7-0), who then struck out Diego Velazquez to finish with a complete game. "I was never able to play with Pete, but James is pretty good." Harvard-Westlake (17-7, 11-2) became the first team to defeat pitcher Jackson Eisenhauer (7-1), who gave up two unearned runs in the third inning. Drew Rico started the inning with a double. Tronstein put down a bunt single that resulted in a throwing error to push across one run and Jake Kim drove in Tronstein with a bloop single. Crespi got a sacrifice fly in the sixth from Justin Weiss for its run. Then came the seventh. Pinch-hitter Tyler Walton singled. After a force out at second, Hodge, an LSU commit, hit the ball to deep left center. Tronstein got a good jump and made the catch. "The wall may not be OK," Tronstein said. Crespi (18-2, 11-2) and Harvard-Westlake play again on Wednesday at Hartunian Field, then back to O'Malley Field on Friday in what is the "parking lot Mission League championship series" (the fields are separated by less than 100 yards in Encino). Advertisement Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 6, Loyola 2: Jacob Madrid had two hits and three RBIs for the Knights battling for a Mission League playoff spot. St. Francis 5, Sierra Canyon 3: Noah Aguilar-Tanphanich threw a complete game for St. Francis. Chaminade 5, Bishop Alemany 1: Isaiah Hearn had three hits and Jackson Schroeder gave up one hit in six innings for the Eagles. St. John Bosco 6, JSerra 1: Moises Razo had two hits and two RBIs and Trevor Heishman struck out seven in six innings. Servite 11, Santa Margarita 4: Miles Scott had three hits and Hayden Woodson had a two-run double for the Friars. Austin Boatwright had three RBIs. Advertisement Los Alamitos 6, Fountain Valley 2: Tristin Dalzell struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings. Huntington Beach 18, Edison 1: Jared Grindlinger had two doubles and two RBIs and Jayton Greer had three hits and three RBIs for the Oilers. Corona 5, Roosevelt 0: Ethin Bingaman struck out 11 and threw a two-hitter for Corona's 14th shutout of the season. Calabasas 9, Thousand Oaks 8: Jack Quirk had the walk-off RBI single to help the Coyotes' playoff chances out of the Marmonte League. Newbury Park 8, Oaks Christian 7: Nathaniel Nunez had a walk-off single in the eighth inning for Newbury Park to cap a three-run inning. Chad Rolison had two hits and three RBIs for Oaks Christian. Advertisement Westlake 10, Agoura 2: Noah Stead had a grand slam for Westlake. Ayala 7, Bonita 4: Landen Lambert had a three-run home run for Bonita. Santa Monica 4, Culver City 1: Jaxson Ehlers had two hits and two RBIs to help Santa Monica in a battle for first place in the Ocean League. Blue Hunter went three for three. Softball Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 10, Sierra Canyon 0: Aliyah Garcia threw the shutout to keep Notre Dame unbeaten in the Mission League. Ellayne Tellez-Perez had two hits and two RBIs. Orange Lutheran 2, JSerra 1: Cate Medvitz had the walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh to help the Lancers rally from a 1-0 deficit. Advertisement Norco 6, King 3: Sasha Pham had four RBIs for Norco in a Big VIII League win. Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Prep sports roundup: Harvard-Westlake wins 2-1 over Crespi in Mission League showdown
As center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs becomes the talk of major league baseball with his defense, junior center fielder James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake remembers the time when he was a freshman and Crow-Armstrong stopped by to offer some tips. 'Looking at him as an alumnus, I learn from him,' Tronstein said. Tronstein, a Stanford commit, did his best imitation of Crow-Armstrong with one out in the seventh inning Tuesday, chasing down a deep fly ball hit by Landon Hodge and making the catch crashing into the fence to help the Wolverines defeat Crespi 2-1 and pull into a first-place tie in the Mission League. 'I was relieved James caught it,' said sophomore pitcher Justin Kirchner (7-0), who then struck out Diego Velazquez to finish with a complete game. 'I was never able to play with Pete, but James is pretty good.' Harvard-Westlake (17-7, 11-2) became the first team to defeat pitcher Jackson Eisenhauer (7-1), who gave up two unearned runs in the third inning. Drew Rico started the inning with a double. Tronstein put down a bunt single that resulted in a throwing error to push across one run and Jake Kim drove in Tronstein with a bloop single. Crespi got a sacrifice fly in the sixth from Justin Weiss for its run. Then came the seventh. Pinch-hitter Tyler Walton singled. After a force out at second, Hodge, an LSU commit, hit the ball to deep left center. Tronstein got a good jump and made the catch. 'The wall may not be OK,' Tronstein said. Crespi (18-2, 11-2) and Harvard-Westlake play again on Wednesday at Hartunian Field, then back to O'Malley Field on Friday in what is the 'parking lot Mission League championship series' (the fields are separated by less than 100 yards in Encino). Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 6, Loyola 2: Jacob Madrid had two hits and three RBIs for the Knights battling for a Mission League playoff spot. St. Francis 5, Sierra Canyon 3: Noah Aguilar-Tanphanich threw a complete game for St. Francis. Chaminade 5, Bishop Alemany 1: Isaiah Hearn had three hits and Jackson Schroeder gave up one hit in six innings for the Eagles. St. John Bosco 6, JSerra 1: Moises Razo had two hits and two RBIs and Trevor Heishman struck out seven in six innings. Servite 11, Santa Margarita 4: Miles Scott had three hits and Hayden Woodson had a two-run double for the Friars. Austin Boatwright had three RBIs. Los Alamitos 6, Fountain Valley 2: Tristin Dalzell struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings. Huntington Beach 18, Edison 1: Jared Grindlinger had two doubles and two RBIs and Jayton Greer had three hits and three RBIs for the Oilers. Corona 5, Roosevelt 0: Ethin Bingaman struck out 11 and threw a two-hitter for Corona's 14th shutout of the season. Calabasas 9, Thousand Oaks 8: Jack Quirk had the walk-off RBI single to help the Coyotes' playoff chances out of the Marmonte League. Newbury Park 8, Oaks Christian 7: Nathaniel Nunez had a walk-off single in the eighth inning for Newbury Park to cap a three-run inning. Chad Rolison had two hits and three RBIs for Oaks Christian. Westlake 10, Agoura 2: Noah Stead had a grand slam for Westlake. Ayala 7, Bonita 4: Landen Lambert had a three-run home run for Bonita. Santa Monica 4, Culver City 1: Jaxson Ehlers had two hits and two RBIs to help Santa Monica in a battle for first place in the Ocean League. Blake Hunter went three for three. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 10, Sierra Canyon 0: Aliyah Garcia threw the shutout to keep Notre Dame unbeaten in the Mission League. Ellayne Tellez-Perez had two hits and two RBIs. Orange Lutheran 2, JSerra 1: Cate Medvitz had the walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh to help the Lancers rally from a 1-0 deficit. Norco 6, King 3: Sasha Pham had four RBIs for Norco in a Big VIII League win.
