By Greg Lewis
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
It looked like they were already used to playing at the Rose
Bowl.
Six UCLA recruits highlighted the first annual Cali-Florida Bowl
Saturday night. The game, which matched up California’s best
high school football talent against Florida’s, showed why
California produces the most Division I football players in the
country year in and year out. The California players were bigger,
stronger, faster and just plain better.
Florida may have gotten the first and last scores of the game,
but California got everything in between in its 21-11 victory.
“These guys are unbelievable,” said UCLA-bound wide
receiver Tab Perry of the Bruin contingent. “Manuel White was
awesome, Pat Norton, everybody was great.”
Perry, who was the MVP earlier this summer in the Cal-Tex Shrine
Game, had two catches for 36 yards. On Saturday he immediately
showed that he could be a valuable player for the Bruins, running
through multiple tacklers on each reception.
White, a running back, had five carries for 19 yards and a
touchdown, as well as two receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown.
White was the tailback, but California utilized a four-receiver set
for most of the game, not giving him too many opportunities to run
the ball. White also showed the ability to run through tackles,
bullying his way over the Florida defenders to cross the goal line
in the first and second quarters.
Norton, who will probably be a fullback when he gets to
Westwood, played linebacker because of California’s one-back
set. Norton looked fast, having trimmed down to 235 pounds from the
280 pounds he weighed on his official visit to UCLA just a few
months ago.
Tim Warfield, UCLA’s first commit from the Class of 2000,
played solidly at middle linebacker.
Punter Chris Kluwe looked capable, but did not show off the
kicking ability that made him the highest-rated punter in the
country. California head coach Gene Vollnogle, who was also a coach
at Kluwe’s alma mater Los Alamitos, offered high praise for
the kicker.
“In over 40 years of coaching, Chris is definitely the
best punter I have ever seen. It goes far, and has some serious
hang time,” he said.
Kluwe was the hero of the Cal-Tex game, booting a 53-yard field
goal with three seconds left for a 29-27 win.
Offensive lineman Eyoseff Efseaff was strong and aggressive but
was occasionally beaten by the smaller and quicker Florida
defensive linemen.
Looking down the roster, it was easy to see why California was
able to move the ball more effectively than Florida. The Sunshine
Staters did not have one defensive back over 6-foot-1, while the
Golden Staters did not have one wide receiver under 6-1. With the
all-star rules restricting the defenses to certain formations and a
limited amount of blitzing, it was no wonder Vollnogle put the ball
in the air the entire game.
“We didn’t generate enough offense, although we had
some opportunities,” said Florida head coach Dave Wilson.
“California played better, you have to give them credit. We
just couldn’t get anything going.”
The main reason Florida could not move the ball consistently was
because of the game’s MVP, California defensive end Bernard
Thomas, who caused two turnovers and seemed to be in the right
place most of the game.
“I wanted to go out and show everybody what I know in my
heart, that I’m the best defensive end in the country,”
the Nebraska-bound Thomas said.
“But I have to say I couldn’t have done anything
without the coverage of our secondary and my fellow linebackers.
When they told me I was MVP, I thought they were playing with me.
It’s a great honor.”
Participating in the Quarterback Skills halftime contest was
high school senior-to-be John Sciarra, Jr. Son of UCLA’s Rose
Bowl-winning quarterback John Sr., Sciarra committed last Thursday
to the Bruins.
“UCLA offered (a scholarship) on Sunday, and I said yes on
Thursday,” Sciarra said. “I’ve always wanted to
be a Bruin. It was an easy decision.”
Also at the game were four of the other five Bruin commits from
the Class of 2001. Safety Matt Ware, linebacker Marvin Simmons,
offensive lineman Bob Cleary, and wide receiver Jacques Lazarus
were becoming friends and discussing the best ways to recruit other
members of the 2001 class for UCLA.