BASKETBALL: JARNELL STOKES TO OAK HILLNBA star Carmelo Anthony made a phone call to Central (Memphis, Tenn.) standout
Jarnell Stokes and that sealed the deal for his transfer to national powerhouse
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The 6-8, 250-pounder probably would have been Tennessee's No. 1 senior this year.
* The University of Arizona has received a commitment from rising senior guard
Gabe York, according to the Los Angeles Times. The 6-2 guard averaged nearly 20 points last year for
Orange Lutheran (Calif.) and has scored more than 40 points several times in summer competition.
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Cameron Forte, a 6-6 guard, led the Arizona Magic in scoring during six straight games en route to the championship in the Adidas Three Stripes Tournament in Anaheim, Calif. The recent McClintock (Tempe, Ariz.) graduate has not yet signed with a college, but he has been the catalyst during his team's current 26-game winning streak.
* The Garner Flames AAU girls basketball team has a pair of players who are somewhat under the college recruiting radar, but who have good Division I potential. The newcomer is 6-1 rising senior Rodreka Rogers of Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.). She is the daughter of former NBA standout Rodney Rogers and moved from Phoenix, Ariz., last fall. The other player is rising junior
J'kyra Brown, a powerful 5-11 guard who averaged 14.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.4 steals last year for Rocky Mount (Rocky Mount, N.C.). She did not play high school or AAU basketball during her freshman year due to knee surgery and is just starting to get national exposure this summer.
TRACK: VERZBICAS WINS JUNIOR TRIATHLONLukas Verzbicas, soon headed to the University of Oregon, journeyed to Edmonton, Canada, to win the Triathlon Junior Pan American Championship in 55 minutes, 24 seconds. It was a nice tuneup for his participation in the World Junior Triathlon Championship during September in Beijing, China.
* One of the nation's premier freshman shot putters, Nia Britt, will enroll at
Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.), according to Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times. She also plays basketball.
* Keep an eye on 4-year-old Chelsi Williams of Lakeland, Fla. She recently set a national record for 5-year-olds when she long jumped 6 feet, 9 inches to win the gold medal at the AAU Primary National Track & Field Championships in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. She obliterated the previous record of 4 feet, 7 inches.
BASEBALL: HOFMAN BELTS 3 HOME RUNS Rising senior first baseman
Pete Hofman slammed three home runs – two with the bases loaded – and drove in nine runs as
St. Francis (La Canada, Calif.) routed Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.), 15-7, in a summer baseball game.
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Wolfe County (Campton, Ky.) baseball fans are eagerly looking forward to two more years of power-hitting
Dylan Creech, who slammed home runs in six consecutive at-bats as a sophomore to tie a national record. He finished the year with a .593 batting average, 51 runs, 49 walks, 35 stolen bases, nine home runs and he drove in 54. During one stretch he walked 10 times in a row and during a twinbill he was hit by pitches four times, according to assistant coach Johnny Rose.
* The East Cobb Braves defeated Florida Travel Ball, 8-3, to win the World Wood Bat Association 17-Under national championship in Marietta, Ga. The big blow was a grand-slam home run by rising senior Casey Moody.
MVP honors went to Kyle Carter, who pitched the title-game victory and also batted .421 with two home runs, 11 runs and 11 RBIs. Matt Crownover was named most valuable pitcher after winning two games. In 11 innings he struck out 18, yielded just one run and six hits.
* Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times reports that
Cathedral (Los Angeles) is building a baseball powerhouse. The Phantoms will return three players who started as freshmen and have several outstanding incoming freshmen, including infielder Willie Aguilar.
POTPOURRI* Bree Rapoza, representing Hawaii, was named Most Outstanding Wrestler during the first-ever Cadet Girls Freestyle Division Nationals in Fargo, N.D. She won all five of her matches by either pin or technical fall at 115 pounds. Hawaii won the team title, with California placing second.
* The first annual High School Sullivan Awards have been presented to recent graduates Sarah Biddle of Servant Christian Academy (Morgantown, Ind.) and Dan Giovacchini of
Lawrence Academy (Groton, Mass.). Biddle holds more than 80 world, national and state powerlifting records in nine weight classes. Giovacchini earned 12 varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball while serving as captain in all three sports. He also had a 4.0 GPA.
* One of the nation's premier soccer players, Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.) rising junior
Nathan Smith, has made a commitment to UCLA, according to the Los Angeles Times.
