Wednesday was an important night at Millikan High and its athletics program.
During its annual spaghetti dinner and silent auction in Howard F. Lyon Gym, the Rams honored 34 student athletes who are moving on to continue their education and playing careers at the next level.
“We think it’s just a great thing for all of the Ram family to celebrate together,” Millikan girls’ athletics director Lorene Morgan said. “We call it family night because it’s a great time for all of the families to get together here.”
Twenty one of them were in attendance and were introduced to the crowd of friends and family before a photo opportunity.
“It’s cool doing it with the whole school,” Millikan baseball player Myles Patton said. “It’s just a special thing that we get to be honored like this at all.”
Patton, who will be attending Long Beach State, was one of five Rams baseball players on hand to be honored.
“Just being recognized is a big deal to us whether it’s a huge deal or not,” Millikan baseball player Sam DeCarlo said.
Patton and DeCarlo, who will be attending Biola University in La Mirada, are two of more than half of the Rams who signed will stay in California.
“Being around my family was a big thing,” Patton said. “This is a city like no other in the whole world and the fan base and community support is something you’re not going to find in many places. Being a kid from here is something really special so I just really wanted to capitalize on that and keep it going for as long as I can.”
“I really like California so I was just looking for good weather and I was just fortunate enough to find a program that I feel like was invested in me,” DeCarlo said. “My family will be able to come, and my grandparents, so that was also something that was important to me.”
Millikan softball will be playing for a CIF title on Friday, so catcher Camila Lara is having a very busy week. She is also going to Prom on Saturday.
“I’m just not trying to think about it too much,” Lara said. “Obviously we’re super excited for Friday. We just want to play, and we just want to win.”
Lara added that she and teammate Alex Corrales, who signed with Westcliff University on an academic and athletic scholarship, being part of the ceremony is good for the Rams softball program.
“I think it’s really important because I feel like it gives the younger classes something to look up to,” Lara said.
Not to be overlooked, the spaghetti dinner and silent auction is playing a major role in improving the Millikan campus.
“We’re in the process of securing flat panel scoreboards for the gym,” Morgan said. “It’s been a long haul because they’re not inexpensive. Every year we’ve been doing (the fundraiser) a good portion of the proceeds go straight into the gym fund.”
Baseball
Myles Patton – Long Beach State
Sam DeCarlo – Biola University
Logan Carr – Lake Erie College
Jay Carr – Lake Erie College
Robert Voss – Harbor College
Softball
Camila Lara – Biola University
Alex Corrales – Westcliff University
Boys’ Water Polo
Logan White – UC Davis
David Keller – MIT
Tony Garcia Montes – LBCC
Girls’ Soccer
Natalie Paulson – Cal State University San Marcos
Danielle Paulson – Cal State University San Marcos
Hannah Davy – Grand Canyon University of Phoenix
Alicia Calderon – Academy of the Arts University (San Fransisco)
Boys’ Soccer
Pierre Khoury – Vanguard University
Connor McCoy – Vanguard University
Anton Moore – LBCC
Nolan Tubbs – Vanguard University
Wrestling
Kydyn Lima – San Fransisco State University
Seth Elliott – Concordia University (Wisconsin)
Boys’ Lacrosse
Collin Hatton – Long Beach State
Ryan McLoughry – Long Beach State
Nicholas Guzman – Spalding University
Cooper Robinson – Spalding University
Jacob Ngt – UC San Diego
Hayden Granada – Long Beach State
Dillon Tyler – LBCC
Girls’ Lacrosse
Delaney Haulbert – UC Santa Barbara
Carly Brenner – Long Beach State
Finley Martin – SDSU
Mahalia Dominguez – Spalding University
Boys’ Volleyball
Thomas Halligan – LBCC
Shane Sanders – LBCC
