Inderkum High’s Josh Falo, one of the nation’s elite high school football players, is headed to the University of Southern California (USC)after joining four other Tiger athletes Wednesday in signing letters of intent on National Signing Day.
Tigers quarterback Trajon Cotton announced that he will play next year for Oregon State University. Other standouts signing letters of intent Wednesday (Feb. 1) and applauded by Inderkum at lunchtime ceremonies were:
-
Victor Jones and football teammate Ryan Gatoloai-Faupula, who will play together at the University of Wyoming
-
Karmyn Rivera, who will play softball at California State University, Stanislaus.
The signing of four Tiger football players to college scholarships marks a fitting climax to a terrific season in which the team finished 11-3, won the league championship, won 10 straight games, and advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II finals before losing to Del Oro High.
Falo said he chose USC over two dozen other scholarship offers because the campus is not too far from home – visiting family is important to him – and he is impressed with the coaching staff and the possibility of extensive playing time as a freshman.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Falo said of signing with USC.
Cotton characterized the occasion as a “dream come true” for him.
“This is a big accomplishment for me, but I know it’s not over yet,” Cotton said, adding that he hopes to play in the NFL someday. “I do whatever it takes to win. That’s the way I work, that’s the way I think, and that’s the way I live.”
Falo is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound tight end and linebacker who was named this year to the Under Armour All-America High School Football Game, an annual showcase for college and pro scouts.
Falo’s standout senior season included 21 receptions for 410 yards on offense, and 39 tackles on defense, according to MaxPreps, which tracks high school sports data.
Cotton completed nearly 54 percent of his passes this season – 74 of 138 – for 1,549 yards. A free safety on defense, he recorded 63 tackles, MaxPreps said.
Jones recorded 79 tackles this year as a defensive end and offensive guard, MaxPreps said.
“First and foremost, I just want to thank God for putting me in this position,” Jones said of the signing ceremony. “I’m feeling really excited to go to the next level and do what I love to do.”
Gatoloai-Faupula, a linebacker and strong safety, recorded more than 90 tackles in his three-year varsity career, according to MaxPreps.
“I’m a little nervous, but at the same time, I’m not nervous because I feel like the way the coaches coached us up, and the way that we’ve been taught, we’re ready for college,” he said. “I feel ready to go.”
Softball star Karmyn Rivera, who plays center field and second base, batted at a .459 clip as a junior last year, with 22 runs scored, 18 runs batted in, one home run and four triples, Max Preps said. Her senior season has not yet begun.
“Softball is my passion,” she said. “I’m really excited about going to Stanislaus, it was my number one choice. So I’m feeling good.”
National Signing Day marks the first day that high school seniors can sign binding letters of intent to accept an athletic scholarship from a college or university. Fewer than 2 percent of student-athletes receive scholarships, according to the Sacramento Bee.
List of images is empty. Select images.
