Fertile soil: Humboldt State lands another Stanislaus District football recruit

Louis Marsella was determined to play football in college, even if he had to pay his own way.

While blue-chip recruits will dominate the landscape Wednesday during national signing day, most of whom will confirm commitments made long ago by tugging on a cap as flashbulbs fire, Marsella’s story likely is true of most student-athletes.

For months, the Oakdale High School lineman wondered whether an opportunity would come. He began his senior season without an offer and only one college – Fresno State – had shown the slightest interest.

“They came by campus,” he said, “for a bit.”

Eventually, Marsella, a two-way starter for one of the most successful programs in the Sac-Joaquin Section, was resigned to take the path less favored. Or favorable.

He would walk on somewhere – anywhere – and earn a scholarship with skills that couldn’t be measured at a combine: passion, hard work and sacrifice.

“There was definitely some worry there, but I was ready to take it in stride,” said Marsella, who was rescued from that fate by a late offer from Humboldt State. “I was confident I could walk on anywhere I decided to go. I was confident I could prove my worth and earn a scholarship that way.”

Humboldt State saved the day with a scholarship that will cover about 80 percent of his tuition. Marsella will sign his letter of intent Wednesday in the classroom of coach Trent Merzon. He will be joined by several student-athletes from across the Stanislaus District, all of whom will set a new course with a signature.

Among those solidifying their commitments are:

▪ Football standouts Talolo Limu-Jones of Davis (Eastern Washington), Daniel Giannosa of Big Valley Christian (Portland State), Brandon McKinney (Minot State of North Dakota) and Joseph Moraga (Black Hills State of South Dakota) of Merced, Joshua Fala of Sierra (Delaware State) and Nick Trujillo of Beyer (Puget Sound);

▪ And girls soccer players Jill Jamero (Air Force) and Kaylyn Evans (Sacramento State) of Ripon and Amber Fibrin of Big Valley Christian (Grand Canyon). Livingston boys soccer player Chris Gonzalez will sign a letter of intent with Stanislaus State.

At Central Catholic, the celebration will begin with a pep rally for the football team at 2 p.m. The Raiders have been selected for MaxPreps’ Tour of Champions, which honors the top 50 football teams in the nation.

Central Catholic won its fourth consecutive state title in the most convincing fashion – with a perfect record (16-0) and a running-clock 56-21 victory over Southern California champion San Marino.

The offensive catalyst was running back Justin Rice, the two-time Modesto Bee All-District Player of the Year. The Fresno State-bound senior will headline the school’s signing day party after the rally, where he’ll be joined by teammate Hunter Petlansky (Columbia), soccer player Taylor Osonaya (Boise State) and softball player Kendall Smith (Wesley).

Rice and Marsella make an interesting case study in recruitment.

Rice began his senior season with a verbal commitment to Fresno State, where his brother, Jared, is a tight end. Marsella, a former teammate of the Rice brothers at Central Catholic in 2013-14, didn’t field a call until after his senior season.

His scholarship offers arrived late, though he flourished for a program that won Valley Oak League and Sac-Joaquin Section Division III titles in 2014 and reached the D-III final last fall.

He chose Humboldt State, a program building a winning culture around Stanislaus District exports. Last season, former Central Valley running back Ja’Quan Gardner led NCAA Division II in rushing yards (2,266), rushing yards per game (188.8) and rushing touchdowns (25). The sophomore was a runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy, the D-II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

The Lumberjacks’ spring roster also features defensive backs Jabar Byrd (Merced) and Aundre Sherman (Buhach Colony). Defensive back Nathan Sanchez (Atwater) closed his career in the fall as Humboldt clinched its first postseason berth since 1968.

“I believe in what the coach is preaching,” Marsella said. “You see guys like Ja’Quan go there and be successful – guys from our area – and you feel like you could do the same.

“This is an area of hard-working, athletic kids that come to play football. I think Humboldt has discovered this gold mine, and they’re taking advantage of the others that have overlooked us.”

Success has followed Marsella throughout his three-year run at the varsity level. Marsella won a state championship with Central Catholic in 2013, appearing in three games as a sophomore. He closed his prep career with two seasons at Oakdale, transforming himself into one of the district’s top two-way linemen.

He had 16 sacks and eight forced fumbles last season and anchored an offensive line that paved the way for record-setting fullback Brad Aquino.

Still, the offers weren’t pouring in for the 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive end.

It wasn’t until after the season that his name began to pop up on recruiting boards along the West Coast. His phone began to ring in December. Fresno State and Sacramento State wanted Marsella to walk on. Southern Oregon offered him a partial scholarship.

Only Humboldt State and the city of Arcata offered him a slice of home, though.

“It was a feeling of relief, especially with these last couple of months and the uncertainty of not knowing where I’d go,” he said. “The official visits helped open my eyes, but it also made my decision tougher because all the schools were so great.

“Humboldt felt right. It felt like home. It felt like a program I could help. I felt like I could grow exponentially in Humboldt. It’s a great football town; everyone rallies around the team. Being from Oakdale, you’re accustomed to that feeling. It feels good to say I’m a Jack.”

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Fertile soil: Humboldt State lands another Stanislaus District football recruit."