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Comets in NFL,
4-year colleges
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| From left: Quarterback Tony
Paoli, head coach Joe Early, running back
Dwayne Corbitt, running back/kick
returner Speedy Anthony and defensive
tackle Mike Durham are pictured during
Comets' 30-7 victory over Cerritos. Photos
by Rick Rowell |
Farr:
National title; No. 4 rank for Kovac
Palomar
College alums Greg
Farr and Matt
Kovacevich ended their college football
careers in style for USC and the University of
Utah, respectively.
Farr
and the Trojans (13-0) won their second straight
National championship by routing Oklahoma 55-19
in the Orange Bowl on Tuesday night, Jan. 4.
Kovacevich
and the Utes (12-0) downed Pittsburgh 35-7 in the
Fiesta Bowl on Saturday evening, Jan. 1, and
finished ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press
National poll.
Farr,
a fifth-year senior, second-string safety and a
special teams standout, nearly broke up a late
Oklahoma touchdown pass attempting to help out
after a blown coverage by the Trojans' other
safety. He had two tackles in the game, one solo.
Farr was briefly listed as a first-stringer for
USC earlier in the season.
Next
season will be the first time in six years that
the Trojans won't have a former Palomar defensive
back in their program. Chris Cash, now with the
Detroit Lions, played cornerback for USC in 2000
and 2001. Farr was a redshirt for the Trojans in
2002, when he played briefly before an injury,
before playing on the 2003 and 2004 National
championship teams.
It's
the fourth time a Palomar product has played on a
National Championship team — Starting safety
Bill Jaroncyk (USC 1967), receiver John
Livingston (Nebraska 1994), Farr (USC 2003) and
Farr again (USC 2004). Another ex-Comet,
linebacker Marco
Chavez, was a member of the Trojans' 2004
team but didn't play in a game. And another
ex-Comet, center Matt O'Neal, narrowly missed a
National title, playing every offensive play for
Oklahoma in 1999, Bob Stoops' first year as coach
and the year before the Sooners won the 2000
National title.
Jaroncyk
was with the New Orleans Saints briefly before
his career ended because of an injury. O'Neal
played with the Atlanta Falcons.
Kovacevich,
a senior punter and one of the Nation's best at
pinning opponents deep in their own territory,
helped get Utah good field position and an early
two-touchdown lead vs. Pitt with a punt that
pinned the Panthers at their own 4-yard line.
Kovacevich averaged 41.7 yards per punt for the
2004 Utes, sacrificing yards because of his
talent for pinning teams near their own goal
line.
Other
Comets in bowl games during the recent season:
safety Ron
Rockettand cornerback Brandon
Bell helped Wyoming beat UCLA 24-21 in
the Las Vegas Bowl; WR Marlon Carter is a redshirt at Texas
Tech, which stunned No. 4 Cal 45-31 in the
Holiday Bowl. All three are juniors.
Total
payouts for the bowls ex-Comets were involved in
this season: $16,575,000 ($575,000 for
the Las Vegas Bowl, $2 million for the Holiday
Bowl; $14 million for the Orange Bowl).
CLICK
HERE to view where
ex-Palomar players have played the last two
seasons in four-year college and NFL football
Ex-Comets, Wyoming stun
UCLA
Ex-Palomar
College cornerback Brandon
Bell broke up a long pass with 10
seconds to play Wednesday, Dec. 23, putting the
final nail in UCLA's coffin as Wyoming upset the
Bruins 24-21 in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Bell
and starting safety Ron
Rockett, like Bell a former Comet and a
junior, helped the Cowboys finish the season 7-5
and record their first bowl victory since beating
Florida State in the 1966 Sun Bowl.
Wyoming's
Palomar pipeline will continue next season when
Bell and Rockett are joined on the Cowboys'
roster by defensive end Corey Mace, who signed
with Wyoming on Dec. 15, and possibly by DE Soli
Lefiti. Lefiti has narrowed his choice of schools
to Wyoming and Arkansas.
Two
big bowl games remain for former Comets.
On
Jan. 1, senior punter Matt
Kovacevich and Utah put an 11-0 record, No. 5
National ranking by the Associated Press, No. 6
ranking in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches
Poll and and No. 6 BCS ranking on the line
against Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl at Tempe,
Ariz.
Then,
on Jan. 4, senior safety Greg
Farr and defending National Co-Champion
USC (12-0), ranked No. 1 in every National poll,
take on Oklahoma for the National Championship in
the Orange Bowl.
CLICK
HERE to view where
ex-Palomar players have played the last two
seasons in four-year college and NFL football
Three Comets sign on
first day
Palomar
safety Josh Gomez , Ryan Hotchkiss and defensive
end Corey Mace all signed letters of intent
Wednesday, Dec.15, the first date of the junior
college early signing period.
Gomez,
a first-team J.C. Grid-Wire All-American
and the Mission Conference American Division
Defensive Player of the Year, signed with San
Diego State. He cancelled a trip to New Mexico.
Hotchkiss,
a Grid-Wire All-America honorable
mention selection and first-team All-Mission
Conference American Division pick, signed with
UTEP. He returned from a recruiting trip there
Sunday. Hotchkiss cancelled a trip to Virginia
Tech and turned down a trip to Louisville.
Mace
signed with Wyoming.
Comets put it together,
win finale 30-7
Palomar
College finally righted its football fortunes on
Saturday, putting a complete game together to
rock visiting Cerritos 30-7 in its season finale
at Mission Hills High School's Grizzly Stadium.
The
Comets rushed for 228 yards and got a big effort
from quarterback Tony Paoli in his final Palomar
game, a series of key catches from their
receivers, three field goals from Enrique Leyva
and huge defensive efforts from Josh Gomez and
Marvin Betts.
"It
was a good way to end a frustrating season,"
said coach Joe Early, who saw the Comets
self-destruct with key turnovers and mistakes
game after game — and give away late leads
— in going 3-7 on the season, 2-3 in the
Mission Conference American Division.
"We
can look forward to next season on a positive
note, and hopefully can build on this in the
off-season and get back to contending for
conference and state titles," Early added.
"The
plays by Gomez (70-yard fumble return for a
touchdown) and Betts (two interceptions, one in
the end zone to prevent a Cerritos touchdown)
were huge."
Paoli
was 19-for-28 passing and threw a 9-yard TD pass
to Gene Bass. He also ran for 57 yards on nine
carries. Antonio Johnson, who had a big catch to
keep a drive going, and Speedy Anthony each
caught four passes. Bass and John Mulchrone each
had three receptions — and nine players
caught passes — as the Comets spread the
ball around. Anthony rushed for 68 yards on 13
carries, Dwayne Corbitt for 53 yards on 11
carries and Yemi Atiba for 50 yards on seven
carries.
Palomar's
other TD came on a 14-yard run by Atiba.
The
Comets took a 9-0 halftime lead on Leyva's three
field goals, then tacked on three second-half TDs
to finish the season with two victories in their
last three games.
NOTES:
Palomar safety Josh Gomez, a sophomore from
Oceanside High School who was CIF-San Diego
Section Defensive Player of the Year in 2001, has
been voted Mission Conference American Division
Player of the Year honors by conference coaches.
... He's joined on the first teamby tight end
John Mulchrone, defensive end Soli Lefiti, punter
Ryan Hotchkiss and punt returner Speedy Anthony.
... Linebacker Tommy Hill, linebacker Sam Searson
and running back Dwayne Corbitt were honorable
mention selections.
CLICK
HERE to view game
report on the VistaPress.net local football web
site
Gomez honored as Palomar
MVP
All-American
safety Josh Gomez, who could sign with San Diego
State as early as the first early signing date
Dec. 15, was honored as Most Valuable Player at
the Palomar College football banquet on Friday,
Dec. 3.
Gomez
also was named Defensive Player of the Year and
Defensive Captain. He was one of two players who
were honored with three major awards at the
banquet.
Speedy
Anthony was named Offensive Player of the Year,
Special Teams Player of the Year and also
received the Kevin Kelly Award, named for the
late Palomar standout of the 1960s who died of
cancer following his junior season at Eastern New
Mexico.
Other
award winners were John Mulchrone (Defensive
Captain), Soli Lefiti (Best Lineman), Nick
Ferguson (Most Improved Player), Jerry Endres
(Most Inspirational Player), Brandon Peterson
(Kodak/Scout Team Player of the Year) and Tommy
Hill (Academic Award).
Gomez selected 1st-team
All-America
Palomar
College safety Josh Gomez has been selected to
the 2004 J.C. Grid-Wire All-America football
first team.
Gomez,
a 6-0, 205-pound sophomore from Oceanside High
School, previously was selected as Mission
Conference American Division Defensive Player of
the Year. He was a first-team All-CIF-San Diego
Section selection in 2001, red-shirted at Palomar
in 2002 and was a two-year starter for the
Comets.
Two
Palomar players received All-American honorable
mention honors — tight end John Mulchrone
(6-5, 225, sophomore, Mount Carmel High School in
Chicago) and punter Ryan Hotchkiss (6-2, 205,
sophomore, Woodbridge High School in Irvine).
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