Jayson Casias earned a football scholarship to the University of La Verne, which is located in Southern California.
Surrounded by family, friends, coaches and teammates in Central Valley High School’s gymnasium, Casias signed a national letter of intent with the Leopards on May 24.
“It’s life changing,” he said. “It’s the next step. This is what I worked for. It motivates other athletes at Central Valley that want to do the same thing.”
Casias will play wide receiver for La Verne, which compiled a 2-7 overall record and finished in fifth place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings (2-4) this past fall.
He visited the college campus, April 14-15.
“I started talking with La Verne in November,” Casias said. “There was continued communication from then until now. I love the coaching staff. They gave me a plan on how they want to utilize me. It’s a blessing. Only 5-7 percent of high-school athletes play at the next level.”
Casias was named Central Valley’s Male Golden Hawk award winner during the 2022-23 school year.
“It’s a great accomplishment winning it,” he said. “You get your name on a banner in the gym. It’s definitely something I was trying to get.”
He earned three varsity letters as a senior, including one in football, basketball and baseball.
“I really wish I was here all four years,” said Casias, who spent his sophomore year at Ceres High and attended ninth grade at Central Catholic. “It’s a great school. I enjoyed being around the coaches, athletes and students.”
Casias excelled at receiver during his lone season of football at Central Valley.
He caught a team-leading 40 passes for 773 yards and five touchdowns as the Hawks amassed a 2-8 overall record and finished seventh in the CCC standings (1-5).
Casias earned CCC honorable-mention recognition.
“It was definitely a great experience being out there and showcasing what I can do,” he said. “I achieved more than I thought I would. It was honestly shocking. I had the will to get better. We wanted to make playoff but didn’t.”
Casias averaged 14.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game at center for Central Valley’s sixth-place basketball team (8-20, 2-10).
He ranked first on the team in rebounding, and second in scoring and steals.
“I’m satisfied with my performance,” said Casias, who earned an invitation to play in the Second Annual 209 Students With Aspiring Goals (SWAG) Senior Showcase All-Star Basketball Game this past month in Atwater.
Cases batted leadoff and started in left field for Central Valley’s fourth-place baseball squad (14-13, 5-7). The Hawks fell one win shy of qualifying for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.
He collected three doubles, 10 singles, five RBIs, nine runs and four stolen bases in 26 games.
“I enjoyed playing,” he said. “I was where I wanted to be once league started. I wish we would have won more games.”
Casias did not play football at Central Valley as a junior due to the Sac-Joaquin Section transfer rule.
“It was definitely a roller coaster,” he stated while talking about his high-school career. “Being a three-sport athlete, you lose your entire summer if you want to be dedicated to every sport. You can’t have family vacations. There’s continuous work to get better and where you want to be. It worked out in the end.”
Casias will major in kinesiology at the University of La Verne.
