This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Cougars won't just visit SeaWorld and the world famous San Diego Zoo when they are in Southern California for the Poinsettia Bowl next week. They will also practice at Helix High, the high school that produced USC and NFL star Reggie Bush, former Utah quarterback Alex Smith and NBA legend Bill Walton. Former Cougars Todd Watkins, Casey Tiumalu and Leon White also played at Helix, which is in La Mesa, Calif. The Cougars will practice from 11:20 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. PST on both Monday and Tuesday, but both practices are closed to the general public, and the media. San Diego State will practice at its own practice facility. The Cougars will visit SeaWorld on Monday at 2:40 p.m., and the zoo on Tuesday at the same time. The Cougars will leave for San Diego on Sunday, and an official team welcome party is planned for 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the official team hotel, the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Resort. ———— BYU freshman running back Jamaal Williams played his high school ball not far from San Diego, about 108 miles away in Fontana, Calif. He attended Summit High School. Williams said Tuesday that his mother has purchased 62 tickets to the Poinsettia Bowl for Jamaal's friends and family members (most will pay her back). "I can't wait for [the game]," he said. "Especially because it is in California, too. It is not too far from home. So mostly all the people back home are going to go to it ... I think they are going to come with us to SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo. I can't wait." Williams said San Diego State was the first school to offer him a scholarship. ————————Remember how the University of Utah and BYU aren't playing football in 2014 and 2015? The Utes released their future nonconference schedules today, and announced that they have basically replaced BYU on the schedules in 2014 and 2015 with Fresno State. Utah will host the Bulldogs on Sept. 6, 2014 and travel to Fresno State on Sept. 19, 2015.