JUNIOR COLLEGE PREVIEW: CARRYING DOUBLE LOAD IN ADDITION TO FOOTBALL, VALLEY RUNNING BACK STUDYING FOR SIX CLASSES.Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer Every day after practice, Valley College running back Edric Prim catches the bus home from campus to his cramped apartment in Van Nuys, where he scrapes together a small dinner and spends the next three hours studying late into the night. For the 20-year-old freshman from Robertsdale, Ala. - a town of 3,782 outside Mobile - Division I football never has looked so good. ``I just want to get there,'' Prim said. ``I just want to get my foot in the door. You're going to eat good there. I'm going to be able to eat something different than noodles noo·dle 1 n. A narrow, ribbonlike strip of dried dough, usually made of flour, eggs, and water. [German Nudel. all the time.'' To say Prim is hungry to leave Valley would be an understatement. He must take 40 units of classes this year, but Prim is determined to transfer from the college after just one year - instead of the customary two - and join 16 other Monarchs players who have done so the past three seasons. ``It's always been about the kids,'' said Valley coach Ron Ponciano, whose Monarchs (1-4, 0-3 Western State Conference) play host to West Los Angeles
``I just don't want to extend a young man's stay here for the sake of making us better. We're trying to do what's best for the kid and get him to a Division I school, which is where (Prim) wants to be.'' The one-year transfer option is available only to players - such as Prim - who would have been NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association academic qualifiers coming out of high school or who attended a previous institution before Valley. But it has become the hallmark of Ponciano's program. At the midpoint mid·point n. 1. Mathematics The point of a line segment or curvilinear arc that divides it into two parts of the same length. 2. A position midway between two extremes. of this season, Prim is the WSC's second-leading rusher with 558 yards, and he has three touchdowns. Ponciano said Prim has the ``magic'' that college coaches covet cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. : the ability to make something out of nothing on the field. But Prim also traveled more than 2,000 miles from home to reach a Division I destination - and sooner rather than later. As a result, he is taking a dizzying schedule of classes, attending as many as three or four a day, all in the hopes of leaving Valley after a year. For the fall semester se·mes·ter n. One of two divisions of 15 to 18 weeks each of an academic year. [German, from Latin (cursus) s , Prim is taking child development, history, journalism, humanities, speech, pre-algebra and football. Added up, Prim will earn 20 units of credit, though it's anything but easy. He has at least three hours of homework every night and can't afford any grade lower than a C in his classes. ``I come home after practice and just go to my room and start reading,'' said Prim, who took classes part time last year at Valley while establishing California residency A duration of stay required by state and local laws that entitles a person to the legal protection and benefits provided by applicable statutes. States have required state residency for a variety of rights, including the right to vote, the right to run for public office, the . ``I'm just trying to stay focused.'' Should Prim complete his course requirements, he would be eligible to play three years at a major college instead of the customary two for junior-college transfers. That extra year would give Prim added time to crack a starting lineup For the line of action figures, see . A starting lineup in sports refers to the set of players actively participating in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or impress pro scouts. In addition, Valley's ability to get players out in a single year has made it an attractive option for players from across the country. The Monarchs roster is dotted with players from Georgia, Florida and Illinois. ``It's a tough task for anybody,'' Ponciano said of the one-year plan. ``You have to be really ambitious. Edric is one of those kids.'' Now Prim is a hot commodity among college coaches. Ponciano said several schools are interested in the running back, including Toledo from the Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a college athletic conference with a membership base that stretches from New York to Illinois. Nine of the 12 full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members also located in Illinois, Indiana and New York. . Prim once said he wanted to play at Oklahoma. Now he doesn't care where as long as he gets the chance. ``I just want to get out and show everybody what I can do,'' Prim said. ``I look at this as a lesson. This is what teaches you how to be a man.'' --Other games today: Canyons (5-0, 3-0) at Compton (2-3, 2-1), 1 p.m.; Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley (4-2, 3-1) at Victor Valley (4-2, 3-1), 1 p.m.; Ventura (3-2, 2-1) at Glendale (1-4, 1-2), 1 p.m.; East Los Angeles East Los Angeles, uninc. city (1990 pop. 126,379), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a residential suburb of Los Angeles, in an industrial area. It has a large Mexican-American population. There is a performing arts center and a cultural center. A junior college is there. (1-4, 0-3) at Pierce (0-5, 0-3), 7 p.m.; Moorpark (3-2, 3-0) at L.A. Harbor (2-3, 2-1), 7 p.m.; Cal Lutheran (2-3, 1-1) at Pomona Pitzer (5-1, 3-0), 7 p.m. Ross Siler, (818) 713-3610 ross.siler(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Valley College freshman running back Edric Prim, from Robertsdale, Ala., is determined to transfer to a Division I university after one year, which means doubling up on coursework coursework Noun work done by a student and assessed as part of an educational course Noun 1. coursework - work assigned to and done by a student during a course of study; usually it is evaluated as part of the student's . Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
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