December 7, 2018

California’s Stafford picks Youngstown State

By Stacy Wolford

By JEREMY SELLEW
jsellew@yourmvi.com
California’s Jelani Stafford had lifelong dreams of playing Division I football.
He wasn’t your prototypical running back. A beast of a player, he’s 6-2 and weighs in right at 280 pounds. And he can run.
He finished with more than 1,000 yards rushing this season for the Trojans and led them to a share of the Tri-County South Conference championship, impressive considering they started the season 1-4. Head coach Darrin Dillow admitted the turnaround started when Stafford began carrying the ball more.
But to see his dream come true, Stafford made a switch to defense tackle, a position he never played before this season.
He put in the time and work, and now he’s seen his dream come true.
Stafford signed his national letter of intent Thursday to continue his football career at Youngstown State University.
“I really wanted to wait until I had taken all of my official visits,” Stafford said. “But when I got there, Youngstown State felt like home, and I pulled the trigger.

To read the rest of this story, please see a copy of Friday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at https://e.monvalleyindependent.com

Obituaries

Christa Marie Paholsky Patterson

December 3, 2024

NAOMI Christa Marie Paholsky Patterson, 53, of Naomi, went to be with the Lord Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. A daugh ter of the late Ro b e r t T. Paholsky and Stephanie Marciak Walters Smith and her husba...

Obituaries

Donald Wayne Laughland

December 3, 2024

ROSTRAVER TOWNSHIP Donald Wayne Laughland, 73, of Rostraver Township, died Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. Born in North Charleroi on July 4, 1951, he was the son of the late James W. Laughland Jr. and Ruth M....

World Briefly

PAGES OF THE PAST

2004

December 3, 2024

• A condemned duplex on Wayne Street in Roscoe was destroyed by an early-morning fire. The building had been declared structurally unsound and was vacant at the time of the blaze. Roscoe Fire Chief To...

World Briefly

WORLD BRIEFLY Supreme Court doesn’t seem convinced FDA was unfair in blocking flavored vapes

December 3, 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — A majority of Supreme Court justices didn’t seem convinced Monday that federal regulators misled companies before refusing to allow them to sell sweet-flavored vaping products follow...

World Briefly

Dec.

December 3, 2024

TODAY IN HISTORY Today is Tuesday, Dec. 3, the 338th day of 2024. There are 28 days left in the year. Today in history: On Dec. 3, 1984, a cloud of methyl isocyanate gas escaped from a pesticide plant...

World Briefly

Cyber Monday shoppers expected to set a record

December 3, 2024

By HALELUYA HADERO and WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP Business Writers Consumers in the United States are scouring the internet for online deals as they look to take advantage of the post-Thanksgiving sho...