Football: JVs still producing top players

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There’s a feeling from some parents that they want their sons to make varsity by their sophomore seasons to help with college recruiting, and that playing junior varsity is not a good development.

Well, there’s at least two top players at the varsity level this season who spent their sophomore seasons on JVs, and it hasn’t hurt their performance.

Charles Burks, a junior defensive end from Huntington Beach Edison, has eight sacks. Steven Manfro, a junior running back at Valencia, is averaging 11.2 yards per carry.

In other words, there’s lots of ways to become a varsity standout, and playing JVs is one option for preparation.

-- Eric Sondheimer