“Bulldog born, Bulldog bred”. Central Catholic senior signs with Fresno State
Growing up, Central Catholic senior lineman Julius Lewis said he wore Fresno State gear, and had a dream to attend the school.
On Wednesday, Lewis made it official, signing with the Bulldogs on National Signing Day.
“Bulldog born, Bulldog bred,” said Lewis, who had offers from Colorado and San Jose State, among others.
He also is the latest Central Catholic player to attend Fresno State, joining the Rice brothers, Jared and Justin, who both had success.
“They’ve done a good job recruiting our kids,” Raiders coach Roger Canepa said. “(Before COVID-19) you would see a coach once a couple of weeks. They want tough, athletic bodies.”
Lewis, a 6-foot-5 three-star prospect, according to 247Sports, had grabbed the attention of colleges coaches since his freshman year. He was always a “Who’s that?” guy coaches would ask about when they stopped by, said Billy Hylla, the Central Catholic athletic director and defensive coordinator.
“We are so excited to have kept Julius here in the Valley and feel he will be a force up front for many years,” Fresno State football coach Kalen DeBoer said in a press release. “He already has the unique combination of size and explosiveness. He is one of the most motivated guys I have met and is fired up to be on campus and get to work.
“Julius has all the makings of being something special in our program.”Lewis played both offensive and defensive line for the Raiders and will focus on the defensive side at Fresno State.
“I’m a tenacious person on the attack and want to get to the QB,” he said.
Lewis missed most of his junior year after suffering a severe concussion against Upland (Sept. 13, 2019) and said he never thought about quitting football. He always knew he would bounce back.
Now that he’s part of the Bulldog team, he’s already created a chant.
“Who rides, dogs ride!,” he said. “It brings everyone together.”
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2020-21 Stanislaus District Signees
| Athlete | School | Sport | College |
| Cameron Butler | Big Valley Christian | Baseball | Cal Poly San Luis Obispo |
| Wyatt Thames | Big Valley Christian | Baseball | Biola University |
| Hannah Castillon | Central Catholic | Volleyball | Cal State Monterey Bay |
| Julius Lewis | Central Catholic | Football | Fresno State |
| Joecellia Roberts | Central Catholic | Softball | University of San Diego |
| Brett Zimmerman | Gregori | Baseball | Loyola Marymount |
| Olivia Keller | Gregori | Volleyball | Cal Poly San Luis Obispo |
| Madison Kackley | Gregori | Cross Country/Track | UC Davis |
| Genavieve Fontes | Hilmar | Soccer | UC Davis |
| Mikela Labno | Hilmar | Volleyball | San Diego State |
| Jaden Phillips | Modesto Christian | Basketball | University of the Pacific |
| Chris Fan | Modesto Christian | Basketball | Eastern Washington |
| Ryan Meyer | Oakdale | Golf | University of Arizona |
| Sydney Thomason | Ripon | Softball | University of Nebraska-Kearney |
| Dominic Rodriguez | Turlock | Baseball | Fresno State |
