MARYSVILLE Every year thousands upon thousands of high school student-athletes around the nation play basketball. The numbers get significantly smaller as they progress onto the collegiate level Divisions I, II and III.
M-P seniors Nathan Lozeau and Jared Stohl joined the elite rank Wednesday, Nov. 8, when they signed letters of intent to play at the D-I level on full-ride athletic scholarships.
Lozeau, a 6-foot-9 inch center, will be an Eastern Washington University Eagle as part of the Big Sky Conference.
Stohl, a 6-foot-2 inch guard, has committed to the University of Portland, where he will be a Pilot in the West Coast Conference.
The signings took place just outside of counselor Jeff Thomas office at M-PHS in front of administrators, fellow students and the parents of Lozeau and Stohl.
Not only are these guys good basketball players, but perhaps more importantly they are great people, Thomas said in his introduction of the stars of the hardwood.
Thomas said he has been a counselor at M-PHS for 21 years and this is the first time he has had two students sign at the Division I level.
Big Nate as Lozeau is called by his friends and teammates, said he was excited to join the spotlight with one of his best friends.
I really liked the coaches and players and it (EWU) just felt like home, he said of his collegiate choice. He took a three-day recruiting visit in mid-September and said Loyola Marymount in Irvine, Calif, Boise State University and the University of Idaho also recruited him.
The two have been teammates since their freshman year and share the same goal for the upcoming M-P season work hard and win a championship.
Stohl, who said he is excited about playing in the same division as West Coast Conference powerhouse Gonzaga University, was also recruited by Portland State University.
The fact that I seemed to fit into their team (Univ. of Portland) as a combo guard was a major factor in my decision, he said.
A combo guard is defined as a player that is capable of running the point, can play two off-guard and can score according to Stohl.
The University of Portland is slated to play Pac-10 foes Oregon State University, the University of Oregon and the University of Washington next season in pre-season action.
M-P coach Bary Gould said it was a relief for the two stars as now the team can focus on the 2006-07 season.
I have seen some high school players sign before their senior year and then lose focus during their last year, but I think they are more excited than ever before, Gould said.
He used an example of a Pac-10 coach that made a personal visit to one of their prized recruits after their productivity had dropped off and threatened to revoke their scholarship.
I think it is rare and cool that they get to celebrate together. They are really pumped for this season. The neat thing is that its not just Nate and Jared that have the spotlight, but they are really team players. Its rare in a lot of ways.
The Tommies kick off their quest for a 4A state championship Saturday, Nov. 25, by hosting a jamboree. Action kicks off at 2:30 p.m. at the Jim Linden Field house.