Tracking the commits: WR Nyziah Hunter shines once again
Cal continues to have a successful season on the field as the Bears are off to a 3-1 start heading into their second Pac-12 game this weekend on the road at Washington State. On the high school field, future Bears are also having successful seasons and Golden Bear Report was able to watch a couple of the current commits in action last week.
Receiver Nyziah Hunter and tight end Ben Marshall both continued to showcase their ability to catch passes and make an impact on offense last week while the defensive players were a little bit more quiet.
Here is our latest rundown of how each Cal commit performed in his previous game.
(All stats credited to MaxPreps.com/media reports)
Last week: 9 catches, 138 yards, 1 touchdown
Salinas opened up league play with a 33-13 win over Hollister High School on Friday night, and Hunter ended up being the one to seal the victory with a big 65-yard touchdown grab on a crossing route that he took to the end zone. In all, the Cal receiver commit caught nine passes for 138 yards receiving with most of his best plays coming in the second half. He now has 30 catches for 560 yards receiving and nine receiving touchdowns so far this season with Salinas off to a 5-0 start. He also has a rushing score this year as well. Golden Bear Report's Matt Moreno was at the game Friday night and spoke with Hunter, and you can watch that interview here. Plus, you can see every catch Hunter made in the highlight clips below.
Next up: Friday vs. Santa Cruz (1-4)
Last week: 2 catches, 101 yards receiving, 1 touchdown
The Cal tight end commit and his team from Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee racked up a fifth consecutive victory last week with a dominant 56-28 win over Antioch (Antioch, Tennessee). Marshall has been used a lot as a runner this season, but he returned to being a top pass catcher last week with two catches that added up to 101 yards including a 73-yard touchdown grab for the Bears commit.
Next up: Friday vs. Murfreesboro-Oakland (5-0)
Last week: No stats available
Uluave has not received stats for the last three games, but his team continues to move along. Last week, Mountain Ridge dropped a game to South Jordan (Utah) Bingham, 24-13.
Next up: Friday vs. West Jordan (5-1)
Last week: BYE
Cal's versatile athlete commit had the week off but will return to action Friday night on the road with Rancho Cotate set to square off against Chico-Pleasant Valley in a matchup of two 3-1 teams.
Next up: Friday vs. Pleasant Valley (3-1)
Last week: 2 tackles
The Cal defensive line commit helped his team lock up its fourth win of the season with a 35-7 victory over La Verne-Damien last week. Afalava registered two tackles in the win.
Next up: Friday vs. Chatsworth-Sierra Canyon (2-3)
Last week: 2 tackles
Ashford and his previously-unbeaten Arbor View team battled fellow top Las Vegas team Bishop Gorman last week. The Cal commit's team struggled for the fist time this season and ended up falling in that matchup 63-0. Ashford finished the game with two tackles adding to his season total, which now sits at 30 tackles. He also has five tackles for loss and a pair of sacks this year.
Next up: Friday vs. Las Vegas-Palo Verde (3-3)
Last week: 1 catch, 54 yards, 1 receiving touchdown
Arcadia-Rio Hondo Prep moved to 5-0 last week, and it did it mostly without the help of its top player. McCulloch suffered a shoulder injury early in the game against Anaheim-Savanna and was forced to watch most of the game from the sideline. Prior to the injury, the Cal edge rusher commit made an impact by scoring a 54-yard touchdown on offense after taking a screen pass the distance. McCulloch had to deal with double and triple teams defensively making it a challenge for him to make an impact on that side of the ball during his time on the field, so he did not officially register a tackle in the game before exiting. Golden Bear Report was in attendance for the game, and McCulloch spoke with Matt Moreno afterward. Click here to watch that full interview, and you can see game clips from last Thursday's matchup below.
Next up: Friday vs. Glendale (0-6)