Two YC football players sign with colleges

Yuma Catholic seniors Austin Rodriguez and Elliot Cooley signed official letters of intent to play college football earlier this week in the state of California.

Rodriguez will join the defensive backs core at the University of San Diego, and Cooley is expected to play defensive end for Chapman University in the Orange County area.

"These two were heavily recruited by their schools and they're getting some scholarship money too," YC football coach Rhett Stallworth said.

Rodriguez, a first-team 2A All-State selection, gained 1,600 all-purpose yards and scored 22 touchdowns for the Shamrocks as a senior on offense, but is expected to be more of a defensive asset for the Toreros.

"He didn't lead our team in interceptions, but he was a lock-down corner, so not too many passes went his way," Stallworth said. "Because of his size they'll probably play him at strong safety."

San Diego was 9-2 last season and 6-2 in the Pioneer Conference, a nine-team NCAA Division-I league with teams from around the country including Dayton, Butler, and Davidson.

Cooley will add some bulk to Chapman's front line on the defensive side of the ball. Chapman is an NCAA Division III school where his older brother played football.

"He doesn't have a lot of flashy statistics, but he was a big-time blocker for us and in some ways the unsung hero of an offense that gained 6,000 yards," Stallworth said. "He's already gained about 20 pounds of muscle for next year."

The Panthers went 5-4 last season to post their second consecutive winning season since 1995 and 1996.