Marks Retires At Franklin, Johnson Remains As Football Coach

Almost lost amongst all the recent stories of local coaching changes, we need to mention that Fred Marks announced his retirement from coaching the wrestling program at Franklin this week. For more than 20 years, Marks has put quality wrestling squads on the mats of both Franklin and Laguna Creek High Schools.

A couple of his recent standouts include heavyweight Peter Anguiano who placed third at State in 2010 and 190-pounder Joey Banks who placed at State in 2014.

Marks will be missed amongst the local wrestling circles.

It was also announced this week that Mike Johnson, who resigned the football coaching job at Franklin after the 2014 season, said he'd stick around for at least one more year after Mark Johnson resigned just 24 hours after taking the Wildcats' job.

Johnson will have the double-duty next school year of coaching the girls' basketball program, too. 

Ken Manfredi was hired two weeks ago as the Wildcats' new boys basketball coach, replacing Jesse Formaker. Manfredi will move over from Monterey Trail High School over the summer.

It's likely former Pleasant Grove football coach Joe Cattolico won't be on the sidelines again this fall. He's involved raising two sons, a first and a third-grader, being a husband and teaching U.S. History at PG.  He resigned the Eagles' position after the 2013 season and has been mentioned in connection with past openings at Cosumnes Oaks and Franklin, but nothing materialized. I am aware of at least two other local coaches who have asked Joe to come on board their staff as an assistant.

I believe he's waiting for the right head coaching position to open.

Cosumnes River College will also be looking for a new men's basketball coach after James Giocomazzi announced his leaving for the same post at Las Positas College in Livermore. Joe Davidson wrote in his column this morning in the Bee that a front-runner to replace Giocomazzi is Nicholas Podesta.

Former Sheldon quarterback Nolan Merker will see plenty of time Saturday in the annual Green and Gold spring football game at Sacramento State. Merker walked on last year and is in a battle with former Rocklin quarterback Daniel Kniffin, a redshirt sophomore, for the starting job in the fall. Bill Patterson writes this morning in the Bee a transfer from Baylor and one from SMU will also

Nolan Merker, left, with current Huskies' quarterback Nathan Berry

compete at quarterback.

Transfers at the collegiate level, particularly in football, are becoming more and more common. Former Whitney standout QB Jake Rodrigues recently transferred from Oregon to San Diego State.

Patterson also mentioned one wide receiver expected to see plenty of time next season is Jabari Johnson, a former Franklin Wildcat.

In Friday's Citizen, I wrote about David Smith, a former EGHS pitcher, now at CRC who has recently signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his college career at Long Beach State.

Don't be surprised if his CRC teammate, Tyler Blake, a first baseman who graduated from Franklin, ends up at Chico State.