The Mesa State Maverick Football team signed 24 student athletes in the first week of the signing period. Mesa State has 9 offensive players and 15 defensive players in the group. Coach Joe Ramunno was pleased with the new crop of athletes the Mavericks will receive, "Our Coaching Staff did an excellent job identifying talent to fit what we want to represent Mesa State and the Grand Junction community."
On the offensive side of the ball, QB Sean Blackmer (Greeley West), OL Dylan Heitsmith (Bear Creek), and RB Jake Cimolino (Fort Bragg High School, CA) will join the offensive that will look to improve on the 2009 season. Blackmer led Greeley West to consecutive state playoff appearances in '08 and '09 including a State Final appearance in 2009. He was a two time All-State selection at quarterback.
Dylan Heitsmith was a 'two star' recruit according to Rivals.com. Heitsmith was a three-time all-conference selection and did not allow a sack in his high school career.
Jake Cimolino was named 'Small Town Player of the Year' in Northern California in 2009. Cimolino rushed for 2,091 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2009 and is the only running back in league history to rush for 2,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Jake and the Timberwolves won the North Coast Section CIF Championship in 2009.
OL Austin Bennett (Bear Creek), All-State OL Jeff Berghorn (Dakota Ridge), local standout Kaelen 'Zaid' Bradfield (Palisade), OL BJ Warrior (George Washinton) and WR/K Alex Zemezonak (Pinnacle, AZ) will all look to improve the Mavericks offense in the coming years.
On the defensive side of the ball, LB Andrew Hurley (Pinnacle, AZ), LB Seth McVey (Sandia, NM), and DB Travis (TJ) McRae (Bingham, UT) will look to solidify the Maverick defense. Hurley is a 'two star' recruit by scout.com. Hurley is a two-time All-State selection who recorded 20.5 sacks in 2008.
Seth McVey is a two-time district 2 5A Defensive Player of the Year in the state of New Mexico. Seth was selected to participate in the North-South All-Star game and tallied 145 total tackles as a senior.
Travis (TJ) McRae comes from national powerhouse Bingham in the Salt Lake City region of Utah. McRae was named Region MVP and was an All-State selection last season. TJ record 7 interceptions and 81 tackles as a senior.
DL Zach Beach (Douglas County), DB/P Mike Brady (Highlands Ranch), LB Joe Clausi (Cottonwood, UT), LB Tyler English (Laramie, WY), DL Jacob Massey (Rifle), local standout LB Holden Reed (Central), DL Caleb Spaulding (Ft. Collins), DB Dylan Thompson (Chatfield), and LB Colton Vaughn (Pueblo West) will all solidify an already strong Maverick defense.
DE Tyler Funk will also join the Mavericks from San Diego, CA. Tyler is the son of former Maverick coach Darrell Funk. Darrell is currently a coach at San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference. Tyler was a standout at Delta High in Muncie, Indiana before transferring to Rancho Bernardo High School in the San Diego area.
A trio of Desert Mountain High School stars will also join the Mavs next season. WR Dakota D'Angelo, LB Matthew Mitchell and LB Shane Williams were all standouts at the Scottsdale, AZ high school.
Complete List of Signees