Chaparral star commits to Oregon State

When it came time to make his final college choice, Chaparral senior Richard Seigler jumped at the chance to play for a coach who can list an NFL head job and an NCAA football championship on his resume.

But Seigler isn't staying in town to play for new UNLV coach John Robinson.

The Cowboys' two-way star is headed to Oregon State, where he'll play outside linebacker for new Beavers coach Dennis Erickson.

"That was the main reason he picked Oregon State," Chaparral coach Ben Johnson said. "He wants to play for Dennis Erickson."

"He's come in there and tried to put together a solid program," said Seigler, who made his choice official today, the first day high school seniors can sign football letters of intent. "This is what I've been working so hard for."

Erickson recently joined the Pac-10 school after four years as the Seattle Seahawks head coach. Before that, he led the University of Miami to a pair of national titles, in 1989 and 1991.

The 6-3, 215-pound Seigler was one of only three players selected to the Sun's 1998 All-State football team on both sides of the ball, earning inclusion at linebacker and receiver. He also was voted Defensive MVP of the Sunrise Division by area coaches.

Besides making almost 80 tackles, Seigler caught 37 passes for a state-best 622 yards and five touchdowns for a 6-4 Chaparral squad.

Seigler said he chose Oregon State from a list that included Utah State, Colorado State, Nevada-Reno and Weber State. Weber State made a late push for the Chaparral senior, nearly winning him away from Oregon State.

Along with Seigler, seven other area players signed on the dotted line with their college of choice today: Cimarron-Memorial's Arnold Parker and Kawika Sagapolu, Cheyenne's Lawrence Turner, Las Vegas' Phillip Mullins, Silverado's Joel Masaniai, Clark's Jamie Manor and Indian Springs' Andrew Faga.

Spartans make it officialAs expected, Parker and Sagapolu -- two members of Cimarron's 4A state championship squad -- finalized their decisions this morning.

After being wooed by UNLV, BYU, Oregon, Arizona State, Michigan State and others, Parker selected Utah.

The 6-0, 200-pounder played running back and linebacker for the Spartans during his high school career, and is expected to play linebacker for the Utes.

The Sun's 1998 Defensive Player of the Year, Parker earned two-way first-team all-state status and also was a two-way first-teamer in the coaches' all-zone selections.

His 192-yard, three-touchdown performance in the state title game keyed Cimarron's first-ever championship.

Sagapolu, the state's top two-way lineman, signed with UNLV after being courted by several out-of-state schools, including BYU, Arizona State and Oregon. The 6-4, 285-pounder will likely play on the Rebels' defensive line.

Like Seigler and Parker, Sagapolu was a first-team all-state pick on offense and defense, along with a two-way all-zone first-teamer. His four sacks in the state championship game capped a stellar high school career.

Also heading to UNLV next season is Turner, the Sun's 1998 State Offensive Player of the Year.

A quarterback and safety for the Desert Shields, Turner likely will play defensive back for the Rebels, although a run at the quarterback position is not out of the question.

Turner spearheaded Cheyenne's 9-0 romp through the regular season before leaving the team's zone championship loss to Cimarron with a knee injury. He finished with 13 total touchdowns.

Pair of ThunderbirdsTwo longtime Sunrise Division opponents became future teammates today when Las Vegas High's Mullins and Silverado's Masaniai signed with Southern Utah.

Mullins, a 6-4, 270-pound offensive lineman, provided protection last fall for Wildcats' junior Anthony Marini, the state's leading passer. He will likely play right guard for the Thunderbirds.

"It's close to home, it's a good school and the campus is beautiful," Mullins said.

The 5-11, 295-pound Masaniai will play on Southern Utah's defensive line, possibly as soon as next year, according to Silverado coach John DeNardin.

"It's a perfect situation for him," DeNardin said. "He can go up there and play right away."

Clark's Manor is also headed to Utah, where he'll play for Weber State of the Big Sky Conference.

The 6-1, 190-pound Manor was the coaches' co-offensive MVP last fall after starring as the Chargers quarterback. He's expected to play strong safety at the next level, although Clark coach Jim Massey said Manor may see time at quarterback in goal-line option-type situations.

Indian Springs' Faga, generally considered the top player in Class 1A last fall, signed with Idaho State after getting attention from a number of western colleges.

The 6-1, 220-pound Faga started at quarterback and linebacker for the state champion Thunderbirds. According to his high school coach and father Sope Faga, Andrew was recruited as an "athlete," and will probably play linebacker initially.

Kekuhaupio Kamalani, a 6-1, 240-pound noseguard, signed today with Mississippi Valley State. Kamalani will graduate from Valley in May, but opted not to play football last fall. He previously played at Chaparral.

Meadows senior Victor Wright, another top local prospect, isn't expected to make a decision until sometime this spring. Princeton reportedly is his top choice.

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