Building toward solidifying themselves as a legitimate contender in the Big Sky Conference, Hornets? head football coach, John Volek, announced the newest members of the 2001 squad last week.

The combination of local flavor and some out-of-town guys leaves Volek, who just signed a contract extension through 2003, and his squad with the best recruiting class in the sixth year coach?s tenure.

At the top of the class is running back Tyronne Gross from Lincoln High School in Stockton. Regarded as a bigger Charles Roberts, the 5-foot-8-inch, 200-pound Gross rushed for more than 2,000 yards as a senior and led Lincoln to the Division I title.

Along with the arrival of Gross, the Hornets will benefit from some players with college experience. Defensive lineman Justin Llorente was a member of Boise State?s team the past two seasons and quarterback Kevin Laird sat out last season at Rutgers with an injury. These additions will add depth to the Hornets? roster. Llorente is a 1998 graduate of Mesa Verde High School, and was named to the All-City Team as a senior. Laird, MVP of the Panthers 1999 Shrine Bowl, is a 1998 grad of El Camino High School and spent two seasons at Sacramento City College.

“The addition of guys like Justin and Kevin really helps us because they never wanted to leave Sacramento to begin with,” Volek said. “They have college experience and they view Sac State football as a big time program. They know that we can win.”

Defensive back Donald Sizemore should step right into the secondary after transferring from Nebraska. The former Southern Section Division II player of the year while at Diamond Bar High School, red-shirted last year for the Cornhuskers.

Other local names of interest include defensive lineman Mitch Quist from Elk Grove High School, and tight end/long snapper Cameron DeBruycker from Del Campo High School. Quist was a three-year starter for the Thundering Herd, who helped them win two city championships and one Sac-Joaquin Section title.

The rest of the incoming class includes running back Royce Barber from Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa; tight end Seth Deyo from Palomar Junior College; linebacker Dave Hansen from Cypress High School; kicker Bret Levier out of California High school in Whittier; quarterback Ryan Maine from Diamond Bar High School; receiver Jason Murray from South Hills High School in West Covina, and Dustin Nicolodi out of Downey High School.

“This is the first time since I have been here that we were able to recruit based on quality instead of quantity to build up our roster,” Volek said. “These kids chose to come here over other major universities and I believe that we are Big Sky contenders right now.”

.”That?s why these kids came here,” Volek said. “They will get the challenges of playing quality teams and being able to compete with them each week, and it all has to do with what they believe. And they believe that we are a big time program and that?s all that matters.”

Sac State Football Signees

Name Pos. Hometown/ Previous School

Royce Barber RB Santa Rosa/ Montgomery HS

Cameron DeBruycker TE Sacramento/ DelCampo HS

Seth Deyo TE El Centro/ Palomar JC

Tyronne Gross RB Stockton/ Lincoln HS

Dave Hansen LB Cypress/ Cypress HS

Kevin Laird QB Sacramento/ Sac City College

Bret Levier K Whittier/ California HS

Justin Llorente DL Citrus Heights/ Boise State

Ryan Maine QB Diamond Bar/ Diamond Bar HS

Jason Murray WR West Covina/ South Hills HS

Dustin Nicoladi OL Modesto/ Downey HS

Mitch Quist DL Wilton/ Elk Grove HS

Donald Sizemore DB Diamond Bar/ Nebraska