A CHANGE OF PLANS THAT HAS SILVER LINING FOR CANYONS.

Byline: GERRY GITTELSON

Even the best laid plans sometimes go awry, especially these days in Santa Clarita.

A year ago, the Chalmers family from Canyon High was celebrating sports scholarships for twins Chris, a football player, and Samantha, who plays soccer.

Chris, a kicker, headed to Boise State for one red-shirt season, and Samantha appeared in games as a defender at Division II West Texas A&M.

Now they're back home and won't be returning.

Chris was caught in a numbers crunch following a coaching change, and his scholarship was not renewed. His sister wasn't happy living in Texas and left the school.

``That's the way it is sometimes. Life isn't always fair,'' said their mother, Linda.

The good news is both are forging comebacks at College of the Canyons, and neither has lost sight of the goal to graduate college -- and to play college sports.

Nearly all of Canyons' top kickers over the past few seasons have earned scholarships, including former Hart standout Josh Cummings, who went to Pittsburgh and has signed with the Rams.

``That's why I'm not really worried about it,'' Chris said. ``It was definitely a numbers crunch in Boise, but there were some politics, too.''

Samantha also hopes to get another offer.

``She just didn't like it there, and in a lot of ways Canyons is more organized,'' Linda said.

Another who's forced to make a change of plans is Chris Giordano, a former Hart High baseball standout who lost a Chico State scholarship because of a shoulder injury two years ago.

Once among the Southland's most promising talents, Giordano batted .366, with five home runs and 40 RBIs as a junior in high school. Just weeks before his planned arrival at Chico State, Giordano tore his shoulder during summer competition in Alaska and has never regained full strength.

After nearly two years of intense rehabilition, Giordano has resigned himself to the fact his baseball career is over.

``I put in so much rehab but I just couldn't throw,'' Giordano said. ``The doctor said I'd never play baseball again, and he was right. I was kind of devastated and didn't know what to do. I gave it a shot, it didn't work out, and now I've got to face reality.''

Giordano has found a way to remain close to the game by offering hitting lessons to youngsters at a baseball school in Canyon Country.

``It's a blast, you know,'' Giordano said. ``It's just so fun to see your kids come back all excited from a baseball or softball game because they went 2 for 3, or something like that.''

The official 2006 J.J. DiLuigi summer college tour has begun. The prized running back from Canyon High, coming off a 43-touchdown junior season, is in the midst of an eight-day whirlwind trek that takes him on unofficial football recruiting visits to NCAA Division I campuses in Utah (BYU has already offered), Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington and Arizona.

His father, John, a Canyon assistant coach, is joining DiLuigi. Canyon offensive lineman Nick Peterson, also a top prospect, plans to meet up with DiLuigi for some of the stops.

Speaking of Canyon, how come star track sprinter Paul Ned hasn't been convinced to join the football team? After finishing eighth in the state championship meet on Saturday -- one spot behind Valencia running back Shane Vereen -- the stocky Ned would be a natural on the football field. He's big, well-built and obviously very fast.

In an otherwise light year for professional baseball prospects in Santa Clarita, Valencia High multipurpose standout Casey Mulligan could be drafted as high the fifth round today, some believe, including coach Jared Snyder, who has minor league experience.

``Oh, we've been talking to everybody. I think he might get picked by the Marlins,'' Snyder said. ``Depending on the money, he'll go. It's a good possibility.''

Mulligan, a top hitter, catcher, infielder and relief pitcher, is a four-year starter who has signed with Cal State Fullerton. This season, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior batted .407 with one home run and 21 RBIs, and he set a school season record with eight saves. If he joins the team at Cal State Fullerton, Mulligan must wait three years before being eligible to be drafted again.

It's been 20 seasons, and so far nobody's been able to break Sheldon Sparks' 1987 Hart baseball record of 28 stolen bases in a season. It's one record that may never be broken because prep players seem to be totaling less stolen bases at the highest level of competition.

Over the past five season, no Hart player has finished his career with more than 21 steals.

``People don't even try to steal anymore because the catchers are getting better and better,'' longtime statistician Mike Gaber said.

People told Tyler Fick he was crazy after the former Hart baseball standout turned his back on a 2005 Cal State Northridge scholarship to play a year of JC ball at Cuesta College on the Central Coast.

Now it doesn't look like such a bad plan. Fick earned All-Western State Conference honors this season, and the left-hander could be drafted today.

``Some people thought it was weird but I think it's a good choice, especially after you look at some of the reviews CSUN was getting,'' Fick said.

In the meantime, Fick is playing in a tournament in Maryland this week.