With National Football League training camps underway, here are a few names with Monterey County roots to keep an eye on before the start of the regular season.
Linebacker Mason Foster will begin his eighth season in the NFL, his fourth with the Washington Redskins. The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Seaside High graduate was among the team leaders in tackles last year before a torn labrum cut short his season.
In seven seasons in the NFL, Foster has 528 tackles and 7 and a half sacks. A former fourth round selection by Tampa Bay, the 29-year-old has two defensive touchdowns in his career.
As a senior at Seaside in 2006, Foster quarterbacked the team to the program’s first Central Coast Section Divisional title. He was also named The Herald’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Quarterback David Fales begins his fifth season in the NFL, his second with the Miami Dolphins, where he is battling for the backup job. The former Palma High and Monterey Peninsula College prodigy was impressive in mini-camp this past spring.
Originally drafted in the sixth round in 2014 by the Chicago Bears, Fales saw his first extensive action in the regular season in the Dolphins’ final game, throwing for 265 yards and a touchdown in a narrow loss to playoff-bound Buffalo.
Fales helped Palma to a pair of league titles and set numerous passing records in just two seasons at San Jose State, guiding the Spartans to their last bowl game in 2013.
Former Salinas High lineman Evan Smith is beginning his 10th season in the NFL, his fifth with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he’ll serve as a backup center-guard.
The 6-foot-2, 305-pound Smith was an undrafted free agent out of Idaho State, who made the Green Bay Packers squad and won a Super Bowl ring in 2010. He started for the Packers at center for two years before landing in Tampa as a free agent.
In addition, former Hartnell College defensive back Fish Smithson will begin his second season with the Washington Redskins, having made the team last year as an undrafted rookie.
San Francisco Giants honor local coach >> Coach Gabriel Cortes was named the Willie Mac winner for the Salinas Police Activities League Junior Giants baseball program.
In addition, Viraj Chalsani, who has played for the Junior Giants for five years, won an award for his efforts on the field and off the field for his participation in the Junior Giants Reading program, earning his entire team a trip to a Giants home game at AT&T Park.
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Smith has productive summer season >> One time Palma High outfielder Matt Smith put together a confidence building summer in the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League for the Sacramento Heat.
The UC Davis redshirt sophomore hit .323 for the Heat, leading the team in doubles with six and stolen bases with five. Smith was a member of The Herald’s All-County baseball team as a junior before injuries limited him as a senior.
Russo still living the dream >> Primarily a starter the last two seasons, David Wayne Russo has been coming out of the bullpen this summer for Southern Maryland of the Independent League.
The former Monterey High left-handed hurler is in his fifth season playing minor league baseball in an Independent League, sporting a career 11-16 mark with 178 strikeouts in 230 innings of work.
The Herald’s Baseball Player of the Year as a senior at Monterey in 2009, Russo is 1-2 this fall with 29 strikeouts in 34 innings. He sports a 5.03 earned run average.
Scholarship for Loomis >> One time Santa Catalina water polo standout Allie Loomis has been awarded a $7,500 scholarship for post graduate studies at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
The NCAA awards postgraduate scholarships to nominated athletes who have been accepted into an accredited graduate school program after having exceeded academically and athletically, and are in their final year of athletics.
Loomis was nominated by UC Irvine, where she is a member of the school’s water polo team. She was the only water polo player to receive a scholarship.
Celebrating the life of George Pina >> A celebration of life memorial service for George Pina will be held Sept. 3 at 11 a.m. at Pacific Grove Municipal Stadium.
Pina, who was 94 when he died, owned Peninsula Paint in Pacific Grove. He also umpired fastball and slowpitch softball in Pacific Grove and Monterey for over 30 years.
To honor Pina, an ‘old people rules’ softball game will be held to share memories of Pina. Please RSVP at 831-402-6543.
Hole in Ones >> Todd Peterson recorded a hole-in-one at Del Monte Golf Course. A member of Monterey Pines, Peterson used a 7-iron to ace the 171-yard 12th hole. Nicole Munoz also had a hole-in-one on the fourth hole. The 13-year-old used a 4-iron to ace the 162-yard hole.
Daniel Dirscherez produced a hole-in-one, using 3-wood to carve out some history on the 209-yard 14th hole at Del Monte Golf Course. Richard Mendes used a 5-iron record a hole-in-one on the 198-yard sixth hole.
Salinas Valley Half Marathon >> Registration for the Salinas Valley Half Marathon and inaugural 5K run on Saturday is underway. Now in its 19th year, the event is organized by the Big Sur Marathon Foundation. The half marathon begins at the historic Soledad Mission and finishes at the Pessagno Winery along River Road. For more information visit salinasvalleyhalfmarathon.org.
Coaches Wanted >> North County is looking for a varsity girls volleyball coach for this coming fall. Contact athletic director Mike Phillips at 831-682-6197.
Salinas High is looking for a junior varsity field hockey coach in the fall, and a junior varsity girls volleyball coach. Contact Patty Lamar at 831-796-7400, ext 2912 or [email protected]
John Devine can be reached at 831-726-4337.
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