ESPN

Justin Combs is officially Hollywood bound.

The Iona Prep cornerback signed and faxed his National Letter of Intent to UCLA on Wednesday at a ceremony at the school. Friends and family, including his father, rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, were in attendance as Combs finalized his decision.

"It was like a dream come true, I can't even believe it, I am really signed to a major school that is going in the right direction," Combs said. "I'm really a Bruin."

Combs committed to the school just days after it had fired its previous coach, Rick Neuheisel. The school eventually hired Jim Mora, who Combs said was his favorite coach from his days coaching Michael Vick with the Falcons. He called it surreal to talk with him face-to-face.

"He's been recruiting very hard and our recruiting class is very good," said Combs, the No. 7 recruit in New York according to ESPNU.

Combs is one of two major gets from the Tri-State Area for UCLA, as the school will also get New Jersey's top recruit, quarterback Devin Fuller from Old Tappan. Combs said that the two are friends and he talked to him right after he committed, welcoming him to the UCLA family and saying "let's take this thing all the way."

"It's exciting," Combs said. "It's real. Everything else is just verbal, nothing is real until you sign that paper and you put your name on the X. I'm ready and I'm excited."

THE LINCOLN SIX: The reigning PSAL champions had six players sign and fax their letters, the most in the history of the program, according to head coach Shawn O' Connor.

Linebacker/receiver Tarik Pusey (Rhode Island), lineman Robert Kitching (UMass), running back Kareem Fokes (CW Post), running back Denzel Duchenne (Virginia Union), lineman Keyon Barnwell (CW Post) and lineman Armani Gordon (Southern Connecticut) made up the historic group.

"It was exciting to see all of my teammates signing and our teammates were there supporting us," Pusey said. "It was the result of hard work in the ofsseason that all of us put in and we bought into the Lincoln system and we did what our coaches said."

THE ARMY'S KING: Flushing running back Andrew King signed and faxed his letter to Army as his school celebrated with a small ceremony with former players, family, teachers, the school's principal and his coaches in attendance.

"It was one of my greatest life experiences. I got through it and got over it and now I can train my body and mind on what college has prepared for me," King said. "It was a relief because I have it over with and don’t have to stress anymore if I'm going to college or how I'm going to have to pay for it, and all of that."

CORNELIUS TO SYRACUSE: Tottenville wide receiver Alvin Cornelius III did not know that Wayne Morgan was headed to Syracuse when he signed and faxed his letter to the Orange this morning. Later on, he found out the good news that he would joined at Syracuse by Erasmus Hall's star cornerback.

"He's another kid from New York City and me and him have talked and know each other well and are going to go out there and handle business," Cornelius said.

STEPINAC TRIO: Stepinac had three of its players sign and fax their letters on Wednesday as tight end Austin Taps signed with UPenn, kicker Prezemyslaw Popek signed with Stony brook and offensive lineman Jesse Gwin signed on with CW Post. Fullback Caleb Gilligan-Evans, who is committed to Yale, did not sign on Wednesday.

"It was a great feeling great to wrap it up and finish up the process, I know my coaches and my family are proud. I wouldn't be in the position I am without them," Taps said. "It was cool signing with my teammates. I'm real proud of those guys and they worked hard and it was great to see them signing with schools."

POLY PREP HAS THREE: Poly Prep had three players sign on Wednesday. Wide receiver Malik Rodriguez signed with Ohio, quarterback Kevin Gebon is headed to Bryant and cornerback Dylin Lewis signed with CW Post.

"It was somewhat saddening because it's the finalization of my high school career and the dudes I was signing with are my friends and it was like leaving my colleagues behind since they're no longer my teammates," Gebon said. "They're not going to be teammates anymore but we'll still be in contact."

MOUNT'S ACQUAH TO HC: Mount St. Michael fullback Kenny Acquah signed and faxed his letter to Holy Cross. His older brother, Gary Acquah, is a sophomore for the Crusaders and Kenny said he is going to be a middle linebacker there.

"It was definitely very exciting to be signing with a Division I college," Acquah said. "I always wanted to do that since I was a little kid and to put the pen to paper was extremely exciting."

LIDDY TO THE HOYAS: Kellenberg offensive lineman Kevin Liddy signed and faxed his letter to Georgetown on Wednesday.

"It's a great school and it's a good football school," Liddy said. "I'm very excited to go down there. I've been there a couple of times and it's a great place to go."

ADEGUNLE TO NEW HAVEN: Beach Channel/Channel View wide receiver Henry Adegunle almost didn't get to sign because of a clerical error, but the paperwork came in time and he signed and faxed his letter to New Haven.

"It's excitement and relief," Adegunle said. "At first I thought I wasn't going to get signed and then when I went there I was interested in them."

BINCKES TO CW POST: Xaverian tight end Sean Binckes signed and faxed his letter to CW Post on Wednesday.

"It was awesome. it was a great day to commit to a school and know where I am going," Binckes said. "It was a pretty long process. There were so many people to talk to. At the end you get the offers. It was a long process but it taught me a lot. ... I'm pumped, I can't wait to go there and play, I've been out of it for too long."

IVY BOUND: St. Anthony's offensive lineman Pat McHugh and defensive lineman JD Hurt are both headed to the Ivy League as McHugh signed with Yale and Hurt signed with Columbia.

PAIR OF TIGERS: Fort Hamilton had a pair of recruits sign as defensive end Toba Akinleye signed with Columbia and lineman Mensur Ibric is headed to Sacred Heart.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Kellenberg quarterback Matt McDaniels didn’t have many words after the game. It’s understandable. His team lost a heartbreaker, 22-21, to Fordham Prep with 18 seconds left in the CHSAA Class “AA” championship.

There wasn’t much more he could do and nothing he could say. McDaniels had done most of his talking on the field anyway.

“He’s the real deal,” Kellenberg coach Kevin Hanifan said. “He’s an all-Long Island player if you ask me. He carried us today.”

McDaniels accounted for the majority of the Firebirds’ offense and on the plays that he didn’t run the ball himself, he served as a decoy. The quarterback finished with 343 rushing yards on 27 carries and scored all three Kellenberg touchdowns.

He blew open an 80-yard score on the first play of the game to jump Kellenberg to a 7-0 lead. After Fordham Prep tied the score, McDaniels started the second quarter with a 57-yard touchdown. Huge blocks by junior Brendan Fitzgerald and Kevin Liddy allowed McDaniels to run free, but whenever Fordham Prep made a mistake, McDaniels exploited them. He blew up a Fordham Prep blitz at the start of the third with for a 64-yard touchdown run.

“I have nightmares,” Fordham Prep coach Pete Gorynski said of seeing McDaniels even touch the ball. “The kid is a player and a half. He is just really, really good.”

Gorynski said he changed his defense hoping to contain McDaniels but nothing worked.

“He just made us look silly on a couple plays,” Gorynski said. “He’s just a talented kid, great athlete, and as a told him on the handshake line, I’m very happy that I won’t have to defend against him next year.”

In addition to McDaniels’ rushing total, he completed two passes and had a reception.

Fordham Prep beat Kellenberg by one point in overtime during the regular season on a two-point conversion and won the same way Saturday, when Fordham Prep’s Logan Williamson found Jarred Moorer in the end zone. Gorynski said that part of his decision to go for the win, instead of the tie, was to keep from giving McDaniels an opportunity in overtime.

“Everybody thinks that it was some sort of gutsy call,” Gorynski said. “It’s survival. He beats us if I put them back on the field so I wasn’t giving him that opportunity.”

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – All the football lingo doesn’t describe Matt McDaniels. He gets the euphemisms that define a coach’s dream. The kid is all heart. His motor doesn’t stop. He thrives on adversity.

All the good stuff.

But proof is in his responsibility to Kellenberg’s offense. McDaniels is the guy. He’s the first option and the second and everyone knows it. But no one can stop it. McDaniels remained the constant light in the Firebirds’ season, one that started with five straight losses and could end in a CHSAA ‘AA’ division title on Saturday against Fordham Prep at Mitchel Field in Uniondale.

“There isn’t a coach in this league that doesn’t know he’s our only option,” head coach Kevin Hanifan said.

McDaniels, Kellenberg’s quarterback, has 1,678 rushing yards this season and averages about 165 yards per game with 15 touchdowns. He scored four touchdowns against Cardinal Hayes in the quarterfinals and broke loose for a 42-yard go-ahead score when Kellenberg earned a dramatic comeback win against Holy Trinity last week to advance to its second straight "AA" championship game.

The senior started as a wide receiver last year when Hanifan started utilizing McDaniels’ speed in wildcat-like offensive packages. The coaching staff quickly discovered that McDaniels is the team’s best athlete. So when Nick Fiore graduated last year, they taught McDaniels to throw in the summer during camp.

“Before, I couldn’t throw to save my life,” McDaniels said laughing. “I mean, I could throw a football but I learned how to really throw.”

At 5-10, McDaniels is not the average size for quarterback. But the senior is tough and strong. He has breakaway foot speed and invites contact like a running back. Hanifan said it took about three weeks before the league realized that McDaniels was an option on every down. At quarterback, McDaniels forces defenses to make a choice between crowding him, where he could throw over the defense, or playing back and giving him a cushion to run.

“I know that he’s always going to make the right read,” said senior tackle Kevin Liddy. “When he’s back there, I know that all I have to do is make my block and he’s going to make the right decision.”

The quarterback’s exploits had been buried behind a team struggling through the first half of the season with a 0-5 record. But the Firebirds have won three straight and 4 of their last 5 games headed into the final. Last year, Stepinac capped an undefeated season by thumping Kellenberg, 41-7. Hanifan considered winning against Fordham Prep for the "AA" crown as an excellent way to “salvage” the season.

McDaniels admitted his team was intimidated when they dropped the title game to Stepinac last year. This time, the Firebirds are playing their best ball and facing a team that they lost to by one point in overtime Oct. 2.

“Go to any coach in the country and say, ‘Coach, if you’re 0-5 and you end up winning five or six games at the end of the year and getting what a league will give you as a second-level championship, would you be happy with that? Would you think that’s a success?’” Hanifan said. “I think most guys would say yes. We could have easily bagged on any of the games between here and there and we didn’t.”