Briefs: OCC’s Roche signs
Orange Coast College sophomore football player Jon Roche, a two-year starter on the offensive line, has signed a national letter of intent to continue his career at Southern Utah University.
Roche, a 6-foot-3, 320-pound left tackle in 2011, helped the Pirates rank No. 2 in the state in regular-season rushing yards with 2,792. He also helped freshman All-American Domenic Betts set the school single-season record with 1,772 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns.
Roche, a product of Aliso Niguel High, was a starter in 2009, when OCC sophomore Ray Holley set what was then the school single-season rushing record of 1,457 yards.
He sat out the 2010 season to concentrate on academics.
OCC was 4-6 in 2011, 2-3 in the East Conference.
Southern Utah competes in NCAA Division I-FCS, formerly known as Division I-AA.
— Barry Faulkner
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Kazarian earns honor
UC Irvine senior Jon Kazarian has been named Big West Athlete of the Week in men’s tennis.
It is Kazarian’s first time being named Big West Athlete of the Week and the first for the team in 2012. The ‘Eaters, as a team, claimed seven Athlete of the Week awards in 2011.
Kazarian won at No. 3 doubles and lost to a red-hot, 94th-ranked Adrien Puget in singles against No. 9 UCLA.
Against UNLV, he lost in doubles, 9-8, alongside Sam Gould, but won singles, 6-4, 6-2.
Against Fresno State, he was winning his match, 5-7, 6-3, 2-1, to upset Zachary Leslie from Fresno State when play was stopped after being bumped up to the No. 4 role. Earlier in the day, he and Gould dropped their doubles match, 8-6.
Kazarian followed that up with a win against Alabama in singles, where he was the only Anteater to record a point, and was tied, 5-5, in doubles when played was stopped.
Kazarian and UCI will try to keep it up Friday when it plays host to San Diego State.
— From staff reports
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Renkens coming to speak
Jack Renkens, a national keynote speaker, will bring his 55-minute presentation on college athletic recruiting to the Newport Harbor High gym Monday at 7 p.m.
The presentation – “It’s a Game … know the rules” – is free and open to the public.
Renkens of Recruiting Realities has spoken at state athletic conferences, football clinics, college financial planning groups, sports camps and high schools from across the nation.
Renkens is a former high school/college coach and athletic director. He has written 12 books on the recruiting process.
For more on Renken’s presentation, visit https://www.recruitingrealities.com.
— From staff reports
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Weaver honored
Jered Weaver, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim starting pitcher, was honored as the 2012 Sportsman of the Year during a special banquet last week in Newport Beach.
The Orange County Youth Sports Foundation roasted Weaver during the banquet.
Since 1972, the OCYSF has celebrated the accomplishments of sports figures as a means of raising money for boys and girls in Orange County.
Tickets for the banquet, as well as a silent auction helped raise money for the foundation’s cause.
Weaver is entering his seventh year with the Angels. He is coming off a career-best 18-8 season with a 2.41 earned-run average. He started for the American League in the All-Star game last year.
Weaver was the first Angeles player honored by OCYSF since former Angel Tim Salmon was roasted in 2006.
Weaver became the 39th honoree. Past OCYSF honorees include Tommy Lasorda, Jerry West, Pete Carroll, Bill Walsh and Peter Ueberroth.
— From staff reports