SAN JOSE, Calif. -- An impressive group of 10 San Jose Earthquakes Academy players signed this week with Division I college programs, and Academy Technical Director Chris Leitch expects more of his players to make commitments soon.
The current list includes two players to the University of California-Berkeley - defender Trevor Long of Livermore and goalkeeper Randell Black of Santa Rosa. Others making commitments were San Diego State signee Emilio Huerta, of Saint Francis High; Washington signee Johnny Knutsen, a San Francisco native; Cal State Fullerton signee Miles Lark, of Bullard High-Fresno; UC Santa Barbara commit Andy Perez, of the Harker School-San Jose; USF signee Chris De Luna; San Jose State bound Anthony Ruiz; Seattle University signee Chad Radulovich and Iowa Western signee Jose Navarro.
Long and Black are part of a seven-man class signing with the Golden Bears.
“We are really excited with our 2013 recruiting class," Cal head coach Kevin Grimes said in a school release. "These seven players fit perfectly into our team's style of play and our program's culture. We expect to have more signings in the very near future."
Washington coach Jamie Clark is glad to have Knutsen on board. Knutsen and Long, who will soon be Pac-12 rivals, have helped a tremendous U-18 team defense allow the fewest goals in the Northwest Division.
“Johnny is a very crafty wide midfielder that can also play as a fullback," Clark said on the Huskies’ website. “He is a wide player who is equally comfortable running at players or playing passes. His soccer brain is active and it will allow him to be a crafty wide player at UW. He has played quite a few reserve games for the San Jose Earthquakes, showing that he is a player with a big future ahead of him."
Huerta is heading to the San Diego State program that produced Quakes MLS All-Star defender Steven Beitashour. De Luna is bound for a USF program that produced former Quakes star center back John Doyle, the team’s current general manager who was recently nominated for the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Perez’s college of choice, UC Santa Barbara, is center in the Earthquakes’ thoughts these days. The Earthquakes and the Chicago Fire senior teams will be paying a visit to the Gauchos’ Harder Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 9, for a pair of matches. The Fire will face UCSB at 4 p.m., followed by a match between the Fire and the Quakes, whose roster features former Gauchos Sam Garza and Peter McGlynn.
Earthquakes Academy - College Signings
Trevor Long (Livermore) - Cal
Randell Black (Santa Rosa) - Cal
Emilio Huerta (San Jose) - San Diego State
Johnny Knutsen (San Francisco) - Washington
Miles Lark (Fresno) - Cal State Fullerton
Andy Perez (San Jose) - UC Santa Barbara
Christian De Luna (Baypoint) - University of San Francisco
Anthony Ruiz (El Sobrante) - San Jose State
Chad Radulovich (San Ramon) - Seattle University
Jose Navarro (Concord) - Iowa Western
